Syaoran
by Rosabell
Summary: YGO/CCS crossover. May seem like YGO story but it's not. One night Ryou was found beaten half to death by his Yami. Yugi and his gang found him and brought him to a hospital. When Ryou wakes up he told of a mysterious boy who had helped him wake up. Who i
1. Prologue

Syaoran

Prologue

The young child remained where he was on the floor, blood staining his hair and clothes. His eyes were half open and dull. Wordless phrases rang through his mind.

_A young lily doomed to die..._

Outside the rain pattered hard against the window. It was dark in that room. Dark...dark. The room flashed bright as the lightning thrashed outside, followed by a clash of thunder shortly afterwards.

_Extends its petals to the burning sun..._

The window was open and the cool air floated about the room, chilling the poor child. Blood moved along with the wind. The child's eyes fluttered, his eyelashes tapping against his cheeks. A shiver wrecked his shattered body.

_The sun with its ring of gold,  
Burns the petals off..._

Riing. The telephone announced a caller. Riiing. The ringing rang ceaselessly. The child closed his eyes. Will he always have to bear this sound? But the ringing sounds comforting. It's getting softer now. It's gone now. Now he wishes that it had continued.

The thunder crashed after another flash of lightning. This one rocked the windows, forcing them to swing. The curtains are wet, dripping as more rain pattered in. The child was wet through, because he was near the open window.

There was a bell ringing. Why a bell? It rang several times, with several intervals in between. Go away, whoever rang that bell. He cannot come and open it.

There was loud knocking. The child shifted a little. He cannot move. He couldn't budge. He was paralyzed. He was numb. He was fading.

_The seed that dropped onto the ground,  
Twas bursted aflame,  
And the stalk that bore the petals  
Was torn away_

Crash! The door was open. The boy shifted.

" Help," He called weakly. " Help, onegai..."  
" Ryou!" He heard someone yell. " Ryou, where are you?"  
" Ryou?" Another voice cried.

_Yugi. And Jou._

" Ryou!" There it was, the Yami's voice. There were sounds of footsteps on the stairs. The door to his room bursted open.

" Oh my god...Oh my god!"

  
  



	2. Chapter 1Seto Kaiba

Syaoran

Chapter 1-Seto

The years have taught me much. Never trust others. And yet this in some cases is not so. Before I met Yugi I knew what to expect. You can always expect treachery. There is no such thing as loyalty. That is, except from my brother. Mokuba is everything to me. If asked to choose between Mokuba and the Blue Eyes White Dragon, I'd give all my cards for him. I'd give Kaiba Corps for him.

I had heard about Ryou. He was in the hospital, in a deep coma. He stayed there for three months. The Millenium Ring was silent. We didn't touch it. I really don't know why, so don't ask me. We didn't touch it, and tried our best to go on with our normal lives.

As normal as it could ever be.

Then Bakura suddenly awoke. Three months without change and an abrupt one. It sounds absurd, I'm sure, but not as absurd as what he told us as I drove them home.

" There was this kid." Ryou had said. " This kid. This amber eyed kid. He frowns a lot, glares a lot, acts mean to me and all, doesn't beat me but insults me a lot, but then just before I woke he started crying. He's ten years old, with brown hair and amber eyes, as I told you guys before, and he started crying. He complained about being stuck with me in the strange place of whatever he called it, and then he started crying because...I don't know why. Did something, chanted some kind of spell? And I was back."

If that's not absurd I don't know what is.

  
  
A few days later I was busy trying to improve business conditions. The US stock market wasn't helping me much nor the rest of the corporations. If the United States sinks to depression Japan is going to die. I already lost a lot of money. I didn't want to lose more, so by this time I was investing in China rather than in Wall Street. China was the better investment site of all of Asia. We weren't so confident in New York anymore. How could we? With their economy already declining, and their retreat boomed by our famous little terrorists, well, it's hard not to doubt them.

Ryou had recovered a little. We didn't need to ask to know who did that to him. Our favorite little five thousand year old completely insane Egyptian tomb robber. How could he do this to Bakura? But if there are people like that mad and sick minded Pegasus, who had the guts to kidnap _my_ Mokuba, well, there's bound to be some other crazy people as well. As for the strange amber eyed child, we all forgot about him. All of us, that is, except for Ryou, who couldn't stop thinking about him.

Little Yugi kept watch on Ryou. The tomb robber didn't do anything for a few days.

Things got haywire. The stocks went up and down, but that was not something I was worrying about. 

I remember one time when I just wanted to relax. It's the type of feeling that won't leave you alone. When I work I want to rest, when I rest I want to work. If stress gets any worse than this then I'll commit suicide.

Alright. I take it back. I actually enjoy stress. Stress could be quite interesting and quite calming when one is bored or sad or angry, if it weren't for the headaches. But aspirin takes care of that. Of course, the day I am talking about is not one of those days when I actually enjoyed it.

So what I did was I just left my office and went to the living room. It was before Ryou was sent to the hospital. Even before Ryou was found in his room in a puddle of his own blood. I shudder when I imagine. That is a gruesome sight to think of. But not as scary as what I saw on the news.

" Yesterday in Hong Kong a famous clan of Lis has been killed, every single one of them, their riches stolen and their books taken for some reason. The land was burned into ashes and every house was destroyed..."

Now, I know something about the Li clan. First of all, they're very rich, partly because there are so many of them ( maybe hundreds,) and they each have a piece of land to themselves so you can call it a Li country in there. They live outside Hong Kong-or rather, close to Hong Kong's border, since Hong Kong is more of a business area rather than some rural area. There has been some weird stories about them, a clan of witches and wizards, for example, or something like that. I thought it was jibberish, of course, until I met one of them.

It started with that news, which spread to other news. Three children and a couple of...angels and fairies, a lion with bird wings and a panther with butterfly wings? Found dead in the park. They took pictures of them before the lion, butterfly panther, fairy and angel shriveled up and became nothing. There were three children, some boy named Hiriingaziwa, an English child, a daughter of a rich Daidouji, and a Kinomoto with a staff, found dead, their bodies are being searched for whatever evidence they could provide.

_Totally_ freaky, as Mokuba had described, and I had to agree. A _whole_ clan murdered? And then some kids in Tomoeda? That was so absurd, so I didn't believe it. Who would? After all, someone could create those pictures on their computer and print it out. Someone could just take a pen and write it all down, send it to the newspaper and then the whole world could see. You can't always trust the news. So many ridiculous publishings about UFO's and aliens, well, it's hard to believe. But then again, with Yami Yugi, the Millenium Puzzle, the psychic millenium eye and our favorite Yami Bakura, it makes it possible to believe anything. A lunatic like Pegasus makes it even more possible. And after finally getting Mokuba back, well, things just didn't go as normal would go.

  
  
The day we met the child was a bright one, the sky was sunny and clear. The night before it had rained so the air was fresh and cool.  
" It's strange." Ryou said that afternoon, one of the rare ones when I have absolutely nothing to do. " Do you want to meet the boy that I told you about?"  
" What boy?" I asked. Mokuba pirked up. I had told Mokuba about the amber eyed kid that Ryou had seen.  
" The child that had helped me." Ryou answered.  
" You mean the kid with the amber eyes?" Jou asked. " He's actually real?"  
" Hai..." Ryou studied everyone. " I found him last night. He was just wandering around. It was raining and he had no umbrella."

I imagine he must have sneezed quite a bit.

" He was shivering and cold, his eyes were dull and lost their glow." Ryou brushed his white hair out of his eyes. " I offered to take him home with me. I hope he wakes up. He hasn't even woken yet this entire morning."

As if on cue, the door creaked open and we guessed it must have been the child. Yugi and Honda looked up along with the rest of us.

" Ohayo Syaoran!" Ryou smiled. " Do you know what time it is?"

He was rather young, ten or eleven years old. Dark brown hair and golden amber eyes that seem to reflect the dimmest light. He was pale. Pale and weary, with dark circles under his eyes, and so thin I swear I could see his ribs through the cloth. There was a healing wound at the side of his head and his lip quivered a little. But he was a handsome child, wearing a green chinese robe of some sort with baggy sleeves and a nice green hat. I think he would have looked adorable if it were not for unhealthiness.

At the sight of Ryou he smiled, but then he saw the rest of us. The smile slowly faded, replaced with a look of nervousness, shyness, and fear. Ryou smiled, went up the stairs and took the boy's hand.

" Come on, it's alright. These are my friends."

He lead a very uncertain child down the stairs. We all stood up.  
" Everyone, this is Li Syaoran. Syaoran, this is Seto Kaiba, that's his brother Mokuba, Yugi, Honda, Mai, Jounouchi or Jou, and Anzu."  
" Hey." We all said, quite lamely, actually.  
" Wait a minute." I blinked. " _Li_ Syaoran?"

" Seto!" Ryou hissed. The child looked like he was about to cry, backing away towards Ryou.

That was so retarded. Not the child, I mean myself. How could I have said it out loud in front of, of-him? I had never felt more stupid in my life. But the boy...the boy looked so hurt.

" He's the last one then." Yugi said quietly.

Suddenly, Mokuba seemed to catch the boy's attention. The two of them are almost the same age-Mokuba being eight, Syaoran being ten or eleven.

" Do you want to go outside?" Mokuba offered. I was secretly grateful that Mokuba had offered this intermission.

Syaoran tilted his head. He was probably even less sociable than I am. Reluctantly the older boy agreed. My brother took his hand excitedly and dragged him out.

" He's so kawaii!" Anzu smiled, then had a sad look. " Too bad his whole clan was murdered..."  
" How did he manage to survive?" Yugi asked.  
" He was here the whole time." Ryou answered. " He was hurt also. I don't know, he came all the way from Tomoeda. I wonder how he managed to come here."  
" All alone?" I asked in disbelief. Now that's absurd.  
" All alone." Ryou answered. " I talked with him last night. He was very interested in..."  
" In what?" Yugi asked.  
" My ring." Ryou swallowed. " He never even saw it. I wonder how he knew it was there." He bit his lip thoughtfully. Suddenly he held his head in his hands and moaned a little.  
" Ryou, you should sit down." Honda helped Ryou to the couch and Ryou slowly sat down. " You're still recovering. Maybe we should get you something to eat, or you can go upstairs and sleep a little. We'll take care of Syaoran."  
" You sure about that?" Ryou asked, still holding his head with one hand. " Urgh, he's awfully quiet now. He doesn't like strangers."  
" Hey, he's your friend, so he's our friend. It's not like we're gonna hurt him." Jou shrugged.  
" Be careful though." Ryou warned. " He knows martial arts."

We were seriously confused by that remark.  


  
Syaoran and Mokuba were studying a sword that had popped out of nowhere. It certainly wasn't Ryou's, and certainly wasn't Mokuba's. But I did not see the sword when I had met Syaoran, so I didn't know where it came from.  
" How sharp is it?"  
" Needs sharpening. It's not the best sword, so it's not too sharp." Syaoran talked very little.  
" How old is it?"  
" Not old."  
" Where did you get it?"  
" Someone gave it to me."  
" Oh. What do these words on the hilt mean? Something something...wait, these are...Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Metal. Aren't those the Chinese elements?"  
" Hai."

It was quite a boring conversation.

" Where did you get that sword from?" I asked, walking up to the two.  
" Magic." Syaoran muttered.  
" Hm?" I was confused. " Magic...?"  
  
But the child wouldn't say anything.

" Hm?" Syaoran blinked at Yugi. " Another one?"  
" Another..." Yugi looked at his puzzle. " Ano...hai. You...saw Ryou's..."

Syaoran reached out and touched the puzzle. It flashed, causing the child to stumble. I caught him.  
" Easy there," This time it was Yami talking. Syaoran jumped back. I held him still.  
" I guess this is a lot for him to take." I muttered.

Syaoran studied Yami and then the guy just went blank.

" Yoohoo, hey Yug," Jou waved his hands in front of Yami, who blinked and shook his hand. " What's up with ya?"  
" His eyes are very strong." The pharoah said quietly. He reached out his hand. " Are you alright Syaoran?"

Syaoran flinched towards me and lowered his eyes. Yami lowered his hand and sighed.  
" What's going on?" Jou asked.

Yami didn't take his eyes off the child. " A lot has happened." He answered. T was strange, because at that moment he really did look like the pharoah he was. _" A lot has happened to the young one, and a lot will"..._


	3. Chapter 2Yugi

Syaoran

Chapter 2-Yugi

I had no idea what Yami saw in him. He did see something none of us saw. He was a handsome boy, as Kaiba had said, very cute and very sad.  
" I'll take him upstairs." Seto offered. " That way he'll rest a bit. Come along," He took the child's hand and led him inside.

" What's up with that kid?" Honda asked. " He's so quiet and all, and only talks to Mokuba."  
" Un, I know." Jou turned to look at the house. " Very weak, poor kid. He's all thin, a thin little shaver. He didn't sleep very well, if he slept."  
" He slept, you baka. Just woke up." Anzu answered.  
" Hai, that's what Ryou said." I nodded. " But...he didn't look too good Anzu."  
" He didn't." Yami materialized next to me. " His eyes are strong," He whispered.  
" Ooh, great Pharoah is shakened by a kid." Jou laughed.  
" Shut it." I snapped. " He hypnotized you?" I asked Yami.  
" Hai." Yami nodded. " No one was ever able to do that. It was always the other way."  
" Amber eyed kid. No wonder Ryou was so dizzy over the color of his eyes." Jou looked at the house, where Seto was now coming out. Mokuba had went in. " They seem almost golden. Is it just me, or do they glow?"

We ignored him. " How is he Seto?" I asked.  
" He seems very shakened. He muttered something about Black Magic. Black Magic...coming from the Millenium Items. Something about Black Sun Magic. Then something about...Undead?"  
" What the heck is he talkin about?" Jou asked. " Black Magic?"  
" He means my magic, Jou." Yami suddenly spoke. " My magic is the magic of the Shadow Realm. He was able to sense it better then the rest of us, other than Ryou, perhaps, because he possesses magical powers too."  
" Come again?" Jou blinked.  
" So that was what he was talking about." Mokuba started. " When he said Magic when Seto asked about the sword..."  
" Something like it." Yami took the sword from Mokuba. " Oh..."  
" What's wrong, Yami?" I asked.  
" This...he's..." Yami blinked. " He's a sorceror. And this sword-this sword says he's the wielder of the elements..."

  
  
" Duel Monsters?"  
" Hai. These are the cards."  
" The people in Tomoeda don't play."  
" I know." I sighed. This kid never even heard of Duel Monsters. He's even worse than Jou.  
" Come along. Hey, Seto!" I called. " You lend Syaoran your deck."  
" Why?" Seto came over. " Oh, you're teaching him Duel Monsters. This should be fun."  
" Take out your Blue Eyes White Dragon, Seto." I smiled. " Wouldn't be fair."  
" Hey, he's a beginner."  
" But I'll have to play rough on him if he has better cards, Seto."  
" Right."  
" Exodia." Syaoran was looking at two of my cards.  
" Oh, hai, I lost the rest." I took the cards back.  
" Lost?" Syaoran blinked. He held out his hand, and then it started to glow.  
" What's happening?" Seto blinked.

Out flashed several brilliant cards, and the remaining Exodia was in his hand.  
" Alright," Yami began, " That was...interesting."  
" I didn't know I could do that." Syaoran said in a matter of fact tone. He handed the cards to me.   
" Alright...so I'll take out my Exodia as well..." I handed them to Yami. " We shuffle, place them here, to the right. Or to the left, it doesn't matter, just away from the center field. The attack mode is like this, the defense mode is like this. These are examples of trap cards," I showed him two cards, one of which is Negate Attack, another I don't remember. " We start out with two thousand life points. You are able to make a move whenever it's your turn, and you can place a trap card as well as summon a monster whenever it's your turn..." And all the jibberish of the rules.

" Alright," Syaoran eyed me warily. It was the second day. He was still nervous around us. " It sounds quite simple...but if it can make Kaiba so rich then I suppose there's more to it than just...cards."  
" Of course." Yami smiled. " It's a type of war."  
" Okay. Do you want to try?" Seto asked.  
" Hai..." Syaoran said hesitantly.  
" Don't worry." I smiled. " I'll go easy on you."  
Syaoran didn't answer to that. " You make the first move."  
" Smart." Yami smiled.  
" I'll start out with...oh shoot." I sweatdropped. _How am I supposed to lose with this deck?_ " The Summoned Skull...in attack mode?"  
" Oh come on Yugi, surely you have a lesser card in...your...hand..." Seto sweatdrop. " Tough luck for the child."  
" I'll counter with...this centaur." Syaoran blinked. " What the-what is this word?" He asked.  
" That's Gaea."  
" This guy is a knight?" Syaoran asked.

We began to realize that this child is a little too technical to play very well.  
" I thought this guy-oh, he is a knight." So slowly the game of dueling became a game of which is which. He couldn't read the words very well, maybe because they were a little too blobby or he needs glasses or something. Syaoran invented a whole lot of funny names-Silver Wolf, which was close, Bear guy, which was not. Blue Elf woman, which could be acceptable, Red guy in a dress, which would make Joey really angry. Half angel demon or Cupid's wife, much to Ryou's distress. Sakura, wonder where he got that from. Anzu didn't mind really. She actually liked the nickname. Syaoran had said it in a sad way, almost. Purple Eriol or Purple Knight, which is probably true, although I didn't really like it. He also sounded mournful. Maybe Sakura and Eriol were his relatives. Blue fish headed dragon, although Seto probably had a hard time dealing with it. It was his best card, after all. Gunned Surgeon, Honda didn't like it. He did like the Cyber Commander. It was his favorite card, after all. Blossom Cannibalistic Plant, Mokuba's first card when he dueled with me. Syaoran wasn't taking the game too seriously. Skeleton armor, none of us liked it. Slanted faced Clown, Seto's weakest card, so Seto didn't really mind. The clown's face was slanted, after all. Hawk woman, Mai was decent enough to let it go. Toy robot. None of us liked it because Joey _did_ defeat Mai with that card. Baby Dragon, which was probably the only one he got right. I forgot already. Ugly Fossilized Dragon, which was the Red Eyes. None of us liked it.

So we had a hard time teaching Syaoran the game. He couldn't even get the names right. Sometimes I wonder, was he doing that on purpose? Perhaps. Maybe he was just bluffing. Or maybe he couldn't read? But he does know how to read.

" You have _another _Blue Eyes?" Syaoran glared at Seto, who sweatdropped and took his card.  
" How many do you have?"  
" Three."  
Syaoran put down two cards face down. He's really beginning to overuse the trap cards.  
" I'll use my turn with the Mystic Elf in defense mode." I said. It was, according to Syaoran, the Blue Elf Woman.

Something happened after that. I forgot how, but he won. He muttered something about Lao Mao liking the game, which we found out was actually Mao Zedong, the Chairman of China during the laissez-faire Communist years if there is such a thing. That statement I would agree; it is, as Yami had said, a war game, and military leaders would like it, especially with a real field.

Jou teased me a little, since even when Jou was playing me the first time I didn't let him win. The truth is I didn't know how to deal with Syaoran. If he's like Jou, well, him losing would be good. If he's sensitive like Mokuba or Ryou, it wouldn't be a good thing. Confidence is really important.

But all in all, in the first few weeks Syaoran wasn't really interested in the game, win or not. Instead he was more interested in Yami and Ryou, and seemed to like Mokuba. Since it was already made clear that Yami and I are two different people, he paid little attention to me. But I guess he didn't know where the other yami was and was trying to find him.

To which, of course, we couldn't _let_ him. We all forgot about Ryou's warning about martial arts. But we got a good nasty reminder one time when we went over to Kaiba's place, Anzu, Mai, and _Syaoran_ were cooking while Kaiba was trying to get his brother under control. For some reason Mokuba is very interested in everything about Syaoran-maybe because of the age thing. By this time-about two weeks after we met him, Syaoran got very comfortable with us, although he still likes to hang out with Mokuba and Ryou more, and sometimes seems to think Seto is his brother although he never said it. Sometimes I think he wants a brother and Seto just happened to be more mature than Jou. He did look at Anzu as a sister and Anzu didn't mind, really. Mai is a little too concerned about her looks to be of much use to him. He still studies Yami-but Yami was quite fond of him so he didn't mind.

Well, back to the cooking thing. It was a Sunday, I believe. I went into the kitchen to find Mai and Anzu stopping their work to stare at Syaoran.  
" What's going on guys?" I asked. Maybe I should have left out the " guys" in there.  
" Look at him." Mai wrinkled her nose. " I've never seen anything like that before."  
" Huh?" Syaoran turned around. He was already half finished and he only started a minute ago. " Oh, hi Yugi. What's wrong?"  
" Did you see that Yugi?" Anzu asked. " I mean, he went like chop chop chop! With his knife. He went like five hundred chops a second. How did you do that?"  
" Oh..." Syaoran blushed. He looked very cute when he does that. " Ano...I..just do it I guess...nothing much really. It comes with kung fu."  
" It does..." Mai covered her mouth. " Well, quite convenient. Aren't you afraid your hand will get chopped?"  
Syaoran ignored her. Instead, _whack!_ On the chopping board.  
" What was that for?" I asked. " You might have chopped off that thing by the force you're using."  
" Oh." Syaoran laughed nervously. " Just the fly that kept on flying around my face while I was working." He was sweatdropping. He lifted the knife as if to chop _my_ head, but it was only for me to see the body of that fly of his, squished on the edge of the blade.  
" Ew! Gross!" Mai cried. " Why do you need to use a kitchen knife for that?"  
" To practice aim, that's what. Why do they invent arrows?" Syaoran was a little annoyed. He didn't like Mai too much. " But it gets even better." Syaoran smiled at me.  
" How? What? What's goin on here? Why's Mai gaggin?" Jou popped in.  
" He sliced a fly in half with his knife." Anzu answered in a matter of fact tone.  
" Yuck! But cool man!" Jou shot a thumbs up at Syaoran, who blinked. " You said something about getting better. What gets even better?"

Syaoran hesitated. " Chopsticks come just as handy." He replied. " But I won't show it here. Anzu, can you move out of the way so I can clean my knife?"  
" I'm not going anywhere near that thing until you clean it." Mai held her hands up. " No way."  
Syaoran giggled. Of course, if I told him that he'll say ' I don't _giggle!_' but the truth is, if that's not giggling I don't know what it is. Ryou entered the room, very tired of course.  
" Hey Syaoran. How are you?" He asked. " Feeling alright? Did Seto tease you?"  
" He did once." Syaoran chuckled. " Just once. But that was all, since he still has Mokuba to deal with. Isn't that kid just _cute_?"  
" How old are you?" Ryou suddenly asked.  
" Oh, me?" Syaoran blinked. " I just turned eleven...oh my god..." He swallowed.  
" What's wrong?" Ryou asked.  
" Today's my birthday." Syaoran answered simply.

We all stopped what we're doing.  
" Did someone say today's their birthday?" Honda popped in with Seto and Mokuba.  
" Today's Syaoran's birthday." Ryou blinked. " How come you never told us?"  
" Wake up!" Syaoran replied, rather rudely, because he was equally shocked himself. " I didn't _know_ until you asked. Today's July thirteenth, hai? That's my birthday. Don't worry about it. Birthdays are just like any other day. The world goes on and you have to follow it."

He brushed past us. Seto tried to catch him but he was too fast.   
" I think he meant more than he just said." Jou said softly.

We were silent.


	4. Chapter 3Ryou

Syaoran

Chapter 3-Ryou

It was late one night, as I remember. I was alone in my room, Syaoran having gone out with Jou to one of those arcades. ( Could you believe Syaoran has never been to one?) Outside it was dark and cool, with a nice breeze blowing. I was outside, simply breathing in the fresh air, when he appeared.

It was several weeks since I last saw him. I thought he had left for good Perhaps it was too much to think-I knew it was just a fantasy. At the sight of him I shrank back, fear gnawing at my heart. But he didn't advance.  
" Where is the boy?"  
" Nani? Wh-what boy?" I asked.  
" The boy, good god, that was with you!" Yami growled.   
" I can't tell you." I replied, as steadily as I could.

His response was a blow in the side of my head. I fell over, clutching it.  
" Now tell me where he is."  
" What do you want him for?" I was ready to die to save Syaoran. I am not letting my Yami near him.  
" It does not matter." He lifted me by my collar. " Now tell me, where is he?"  
" I'm not letting you near him," I seethed. Yami threw me up and kicked me in the stomach. I cried out, doubling over.  
" Where is he?!"  
" He's with Jou..." No...no I did not say that out loud...

Yami whipped around and started out. I climbed to my feet and ran after him, holding my stomach.  
" Yami, iie!" I shouted. " Don't hurt him, onegai!"  
" Get off!" He threw me off of him. I nearly fell, but caught my footing, and ran after him, who was starting to run.  
" Yami, onegai, don't hurt him! He's only a child!"

But he was running too fast. I could barely keep pace, let alone catch up. Slowly he drew nearer to the arcade-he knew where Jou always was. Swinging the door open he entered. I followed, now completely helpless.

  
  
Jou was showing Syaoran how to control the game figure. Syaoran was saying something about it actually being much easier without the bobs and buttons. Both turned around and saw the two of us, who stopped at the sight of him. I tried one more time to hold him back. This time he did not throw me off, instead grabbed me wrist and squeezed it.

" Syaoran, get out of here..." I begged,  
" Iie, you stay right there."  
" I don't know who you are," Syaoran began warily, " But I don't think you're very nice. What is your name?"  
" My name is not important-" Yami stopped because Syaoran had slipped away with Jou-outside to the night.  
" Urgh," He growled, then pulling my wrist we ran outside, chasing Syaoran. I was doing my best to hold him back, but he was pulling me forward.

Syaoran suddenly stopped. Jou stopped a few feet before him.  
" Syaoran, what are you waiting for?" Jou cried, staring at him and us.  
" Who are you?" Syaoran asked. " I've been looking for you."  
Yami flinched. " I am Bakura." His eyes grew dark. " And your worst nightmare."  
" If you think I'm going to just stand here for you to beat me up you're wrong." Syaoran glared at him. " Because I am certainly not weak when it comes to fighting."  
" Oh, is that a challenge?" Yami smirked. I gasped, horrified at Syaoran's boldness.  
" It is if you turn it into one. What do you want." Syaoran replied.

Yami blinked at the child's bluntness. " You are a very brave child."  
" Bravery has nothing to do with it." Syaoran answered. " I have nothing to fear except the past. Especially not from _you_." He looked Yami up and down. " What are you. What do you want."  
" What do I want?" Yami seemed...amused? " I want you to get me the Millenium Puzzle."  
" You're out of your mind." Syaoran hissed. He was still in those green robes of his, and I began to wonder if there was more to him than I had previously thought.

Yami blinked. I felt something wet trickle down my cheek. It was blood.

Syaoran studied me for a minute.

" Well, _Yami_, as I heard Ryou call you," Syaoran began, " I don't suppose you're simply in a bad mood today. But it seems like you don't remember your name." Yami flinched. " So, _Zei_, you have no right to treat any of us human beings the way you treat any of us. Go back to that childish toy of yours and don't show your face in front of me again."

Yami growled, but Syaoran faced him with courage I do not possess. " Go, you child." His eyes began blowing a bright golden color. " Go back to that ring. Play with your toy cards. This world is already turning black as it is. We do not need you to darken it further."

Yami inhaled and I prepared myself for whatever he was going to do to Syaoran.

Instead, he let go of me and disappeared back into the ring.

What had intimidated him? What had frightened him? Because undoubtedly Yami was frightened, or ' Zei' as Syaoran called him. I did not understand why he had retreated away from an eleven year old, weak, famished, and tired. Syaoran was not weak at heart as I am, but he cannot endure as long as Yami. So why did Yami back off? Come to think of it, why did he bother to look for Syaoran at all?

For a long moment we remained in the darkness of the night, Syaoran looking steadily at me. I wondered what he saw. Perhaps a frail, tall but weak boy, with white hair and brown eyes, features too womanly to be male but male he is, a heart too weak to hold any pain, blood dark red on his skin, panting, completely intimidated by someone stronger than he.

" Ryou."

His voice woke me out of my thoughts. I stared at Syaoran, now no longer just a ten year old but a leader, a royal prince that embraces the ancient traditions. He was eyeing me steadily, almost tenderly. His voice was gentle.

" Ryou, you are a weakling."

The words were harsh, but the way he said them was not. It was almost sympathetic, the way he said it. I could not answer. My voice was lost.

" Ryou, if you could do what I did, you wouldn't be bleeding right now."

_How can you be so sure?_ I thought to myself. But I didn't say anything out loud. The child looked at me sadly.  
" Let's get you home Ryou." He said quietly. Jou was a little annoyed with him, but he didn't say anything.

" Are the others going to come tomorrow night?" Syaoran suddenly asked. " It's raining tomorrow."  
" Ano...hai." Jou said. " Why?"  
" I heard you guys like ghost stories." Syaoran replied mysteriously.

I had a feeling that it wasn't just any ghost story.

  
  
It turned out, he had _two_ stories to tell. After Honda's lousy story about the girl who found out she was running from her brother all along, it was a relief to finally hear Syaoran talk.

We had all been looking forward to the story that Syaoran was going to tell. We didn't know much about him other than...he's a Li, and news of the doom of the Li clan had been widespread. We had thought we could get to know Syaoran a little better.

" Five thousand years ago," Syaoran nodded at Yami, who was also listening, " There was once a child that was different from all others. He who seemed to be made from the moon itself, is actually just like it, coming out only at night and timid during the day. Weak and frail he was, at the age of five both his parents were killed by the pharoah, a young pharoah he was, because both parents planned treachery. The young child was thrown into poverty, with no food or money, forced to wander on his own. Beaten by the guards, he slowly covered and blinded his eyes from the light, and went towards the path of darkness.  
' At this point, he was thirteen, having lived eight years this way. The game of Shadow had been introduced by an unknown immortal to the Mortal Realm, to save the empire from destruction. The game was soon made popular, and its secrets reached the hands of the moon angel. Devil now he was, he soon became the champion, and having now only the pharoah to defeat, he challenged the young king."

Yugi looked at Yami, who had suddenly turned very pale.

" Vengeance ran his very blood," Syaoran continued, " In the darkness of a rainy night, and a rare night it was, for Egypt was hot, the Nile flooding smoothly to bring the silt onto the farmlands, the Pharoah and the young man dueled their battle. The moon angel lost, and the pharoah in his wrath sentenced him into the Shadow Realm.  
' Little did he know of the boy's powers, who now knew only of darkness. Little did he know of the hate in the boy's heart, of the rage, the innocence long lost. But little did the boy know, too, of the pharoah's magical powers, the reason for his name, but still the pharoah lost. The moon child knew only of strength and might, despising those who are weak and hating those who are strong. In the dark of night, many years later, a shadow loomed over the pharoah's bed. Twinkling gold was heard, as if the pieces were hitting each other. Red eyes glowed from the darkness of the night, and the pharoah, scooting up from bed, shouted,  
' Who are you?'  
' Don't you remember me, your Majesty?' the all too familiar voice answered with contempt. ' Remember the little one? The one you sentenced to the Shadow Realm?'  
' You.' was all the Pharoah said.  
' Yes,' the shadow answered. " Twelve years ago you murdered my parents. Twelve years ago. Twelve years ago you sentenced them to death and sentenced me to a life or contempt and scorn. Twelve years ago you executed them. Did you have any thought of their five year old child? No? Well, here he is. You have sentenced him to an unliving life of loneliness and darkness, filled with shadow and hate. But I have not finished what I came here to do, your highness.' And the shadow took out a dagger and plunged it into the pharoah's head. ' Now you shall know what the Shadow Realm is!'  
' When the morning broke, the maids entered the room. But no pharoah was there. Only scattered pieces of a puzzle, sprawled out upon the bed, golden surfaces glistening. The dagger was never found."

He really spooked us, whether the story was told nicely or not. Especially poor Yami, who couldn't speak for a few minutes and was deathly pale. Because the story, ghost or not, is completely true, explaining how Yami had been sealed within the Millenium Puzzle and how Yami Bakura had been sealed within the ring. The next story was confusing though, but much more scarier.

' Once there was a young man, very young, about twenty or so. He was considered handsome to many, with his white hair and deep brown eyes. He was not very poor, wealthy in fact, but very unhappy. His name-well, his name cannot be told, but he met a young and beautiful woman in a ball dance. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life, with her fair golden hair and the loveliest eyes.  
' The two met a few times afterwards, and soon fell in love. Their families approved of one another and soon they were engaged. But days before the wedding, the soon to be bride was murdered, by whom no one ever found out. The young man was devastated, mourning for his lost love.  
' One night, as he prepared for bed, there were whispers coming from the walls. The young man whimpered and looked around him, still heartbroken from his loss. A whisper from the walls told him, ' you are not born to love or be loved...' and a shadow loomed out, striking him in his left eye. The eyeball was crushed and deleted from the world, but the blood poured out from the young man's eye, terribly frightened, cowering under the shadow's presence. Out came a golden eye, a sennen eye, and a curse was laid upon the man.  
_From now on, you shall possess the power of the Millenium Eye, never to hear from your loved one again. You shall obey us, you shall turn evil, you will be deprived of your consciousness of reality. From now on, you shall not be._  
' The words were repeated, every night, every night the young man tried to take the cursed eye off, but it wouldn't. It stuck on, held on, until someone other than he takes it off, and he will be in pain. Every night, the same deathly voice entered his head, and soon it spread into morning when he woke, dreams when he slept, noons when the sun is burning and yet all is dull. And slowly, ever so slowly, the heartbroken man lost his mind. Pictures on the walls followed where he went. He, as the shadow had said, indeed lost his consciousness of reality, was not, is not, will not. And losing all moral sense, in the dark of nights, over the murmuring of the deathly voices, the man forgot his lost love, forgot all. In his hand was the first card." Here Syaoran looked at us. " His first card: The Blue Eyes White Dragon."

  
  
If we were spooked before, we were seriously spooked now. We knew that Pegasus was insane, but never bothered asking why. So...

  
  
That night as I lied on my bed I thought about the boy who lost his parents. I thought about the pharoah who wiped all innocence out of the child, wiped all sense of morality and hope and replaced it with hate and rage. I thought about the man who lost his love and after, his mind. How Duel Monsters had come back into the modern world. But mostly I thought about the boy who also went insane. And I stroked the ring and decided if worse comes to worse, if I can bring any comfort to my Yami, all beatings would be worth it. Everything would be worth it. 


	5. Chapter 4Jou

Syaoran

Chapter 4-Jounouchi

I am not a baka. It's true that I'm always hungry, but hey, I have to eat, ye know? It's not like I'm a Yami, no offense, and can just wander around without food or drink and still duel and all. Sure, I know I eat a lot. But that's the reason I'm tall, anyways. And Honda's just as much of a pig as I am. He's no smarter.

But back to the boy, Syaoran. We got to the part where Syaoran tells us those spooky stories, yeah? What did _not_ make sense that night was exactly how he knew the histories of someone like that Yami B. I mean, c'mon! That guy's insane, first of all, and he ain't very young neither. He's not very opened up, if ye know what I mean. So how's Syaoran gonna know 'bout his past? So, remember when Kaiba talked about the Li clan being strange and all? Well, this was the conclusion all of us made about him soon after.

As for Pegasus, that seemed even more spooky. But we know it's true. It's just one of those things that you just _know_. You don't need any proof. No proof. And it made a lot of sense, really, because Pegasus_ is _sick minded and insane. Kidnapping a poor kid like Mokuba, that's just, well, _sick._ But never mind about that. Back to the kid.

Yugi talked about how the kid made up all those names, right? ( And just to be safe, ' Red guy in a dress' is the Flaming Swordsman. ' Sakura' is the Magician of Faith.) Gradually we found out that he was just bluffin, but he really couldn't see very clearly for some reason. Anyways. He was pretty cute, very adorable, for a ten year old at least. He is very close with Mokuba, and Kaiba seemed to take it upon himself to be their guardian. As for Yami B, he's just, well, staying put for some reason. No strange things happened.

One time we were at the game shop, just Yugi, me, and the kid. Yugi was explaining to Syaoran the heart of the cards as they were playing, so he won't make the same mistake Kaiba did. Then Syaoran did a strange thing.

" I can't play this game." He said, placing his cards down. " I'll never win if this goes on."  
" What do you mean?" Yugi asked. I stared at the kid as if he had grown two heads.  
" Yeah Syao, what's wrong? Just because you're starting doesn't mean you won't get better."  
" I won't get better." Syaoran lowered his eyes. " It's not that I can't if I want to. I just won't. I don't have any faith anymore."  
" What do you mean?" Yugi's grandfather asked.  
" Syao, just because you're clan was murdered doesn't mean that you won't have a life ye know." I told him seriously.  
" It's more than that." Syaoran sighed. " If it had just been my family, I might still have some hope. But it's more than that."  
" What do you mean?" Yugi asked, putting down his cards and touching Syaoran's shoulder. " Do you want to talk about it?"

At this Syaoran was quiet for a long time.

" Several thousand years ago," He began, so soft I could barely hear it. " There was a powerful sorceror named Clow Reed." I knew that this was something concerning with his ability to read the past. " He gathered the forces of magic and formed them into cards. He created two guardians to guard them, one to keep the cards safe, another to judge whoever will own the cards in the future.  
' I am the descendant of Clow Reed. I had been training in magic and sorcery just for the day when the cards will be found, so I can capture them. But fate did not deem me. Instead, the cards were found and brought to Tomoeda. The judge awoke and acquired a false form. The guard slept, and one year ago the cards were released by a girl named Kinomoto Sakura.  
' I sensed the cards. I flew from Hong Kong into Tomoeda. But by that time Sakura already had a sealing wand, and had captured a few of the cards. I helped her capture them, capturing some myself, for the cards love freedom as much as you or I. At the Final Judgement I lost and she won. She became the Card Mistress, and transformed her sealing wand to a Staff."  
" That was why when I saw the Magician of Faith I remembered Sakura. It wasn't because they look alike. It really wasn't. It was purely because of the staff. And the poised look they had were the same. When I looked at the card I remembered the Card Mistress. I remembered how she had held the staff, proud that she had won."

All of this was said in the most unemotionless way, as if Syaoran indeed had no heart left.

" At that time something inside me broke." Syaoran continued. " I felt worthless. I could have gone back to Hong Kong. But then the reincarnation of Clow Reed came to Tomoeda, by the name of Hiriingaziwa Eriol. He came from England, and brought along with him two other guardians, to test Sakura. Sakura transformed her cards from Clow Cards to Sakura Cards and passed the tests. I couldn't really help her much, I was too weak. But she did it." At this, Syaoran had a small smile on his face. " She did it.  
' For a while afterwards it seemed as if nothing else would happen for some time. We all thought we could live peacefully ever after. I fell in love with Sakura." Syaoran's voice was now tender. " She was my hikari, my cherry blossom, my hope and my faith. She was what I lived for. She was gentle. She was sweet, generous and kind, was kind of...like Mokuba. Innocent, and saw only good things in people. Only good things." Syaoran looked at Yugi.  
' Then a shadow came." Here is perhaps, the story you've never heard of. ' A shadow came. It attacked the judge of the new mistress. He was injured and Sakura tended him for days. When he finally healed a message came and Sakura found it. She looked at me in a worried glance and said that someone was after me. I thought it was a prank. After all, I was so weak. I had no powers. Who would want me out of all people?  
' But then the Li clan was murdered." Syaoran's voice was again cold and indifferent. " The shadow murdered my mother. My sisters. My aunt and my dearest cousin. Everyone was gone. All the pride, all the wealth, all the honor and reason for fame, gone. Without a trace. I wanted to go back to Hong Kong. Sakura wouldn't let me. Neither would either of the guardians, who I had never been close with. A few days later the shadow came back to Tomoeda. We all sensed it and went to the park where the shadow was waiting. There were twelve of them, dressed in black and gray, all holding staffs like the Dark Magician. All wanted me to go with them or perish. Sakura didn't let me go. No one let me go.  
' There was Tomoyo-chan, she was the daughter of Daidouji Sonomi. You heard about her. She ran a big company. Tomoyo-chan had no magical powers, she just videotaped, and made the funny costumes. So she had no reason to be pulled into this. Eriol-kun, he was more like the Dark Magician than anything, his staff proud, his eyes...it's not that they look alike at all. But both gave off that same aura, that same feeling of power. Eriol and I had nothing in common. He should have been left out. Then there's Kero-chan, the guard who slept too long so the cards were released. He was also proud. A tall lion with wings. I wish you could have seen him. Yue, the judge. He was an angel, divine and fair. I wish I knew him better-he had helped me so much, but he was cold, cold, and I wonder if he understood me at all. Then there was Ruby Moon, or Nakuru-san as her false form. Happy and hyper, cheerful and always brightens the day with her foolishness. Spinel-san, he's a panther, eats as much as Kero and Jou, perhaps more than Jou, and who is quiet and silent most of the time. And then there is Sakura, pretty and kind. She was innocent, pure. She should not have been tainted. I wish she was still here."  
" What do you mean, still here?" Yugi asked. " What happened to all of them?"

" What happened?" Syaoran answered, without emotion, completely practical, as if he were answering a quiz problem in school. " The twelve magicians killed them. They're all dead."

  
  
It was at this point when Yugi, Yami and I realized what the news was talking about. Why so many were found dead in the park in Tomoeda, why four of them disappeared without a trace right after they found them, and why Syaoran had left Tomoeda in such a hurry without bringing anything with him except for his sword and the clothes he wore on him. It explained why Syaoran and Ryou had met; they were both near death, both dying, both trying their best to heal. And Syaoran used his magic to revive Ryou and in turn was brought to life himself. He was the only survivor of that night, the night when everyone who was important to him was killed. Why he had burst out crying in front of Ryou, fully realizing that all was lost. He had no family. He had no friends. He was alone.

What good would faith do him now? He had no faith. It had went along with the others, dead and forgotten. In some sense the kid was already dead. It was why he was not afraid of Yami B. He had nothing to fear except the past. Because the past is what he was running from.

Syaoran was eleven years old.

  
  
It was that day when we got a big gulp of who he was, if ye know what I mean. Before, it's just worthless clues. It's the first time the kid opened up, and we really weren't ready for it, I mean, a whole clan dead! A whole group of friends! How many were there, eight? Seven? All killed by that weird shadow thingie. The twelve shadow figures. But Syaoran didn't explain everything even then. It's all just clues. He never did explain what happened to the twelve sorcerors. He didn't explain why Tomoyo was dragged into this if she don't have no magic. He didn't explain who Ruby Moon was, who Spinel was, and certainly did not tell us much about that Sakura other than...he loved her? But it was a big fish to swallow, if you know what I mean. I'm sure you do. The most we've ever learned about the child at that time. And there was more to come.

' Cause the shadow thing, it was not dead, as we had hoped. It came into the dumps that this town is. Syaoran thought he could run away, well, it never works that way. Because the past follows ye, wherever you go. 


	6. Chapter 5Anzu

Syaoran

Chapter 5-Anzu

It was around a month after we first met Syaoran. We had no idea what trouble we'd get into when we get close to him. And boy was it a lot of trouble. 

Jou and Yugi didn't tell us about what Syaoran had said until the first god appeared in front of the game shop. We had enough of Kaiba's and Pegasus' men to know that something's wrong. Plus the fact that the man was wearing robes even more out of time then Syaoran.

At the sight of him Syaoran just froze and looked at him. The figure froze as well.  
" Who are you?" Yami asked, stepping in front of Syaoran.

That was when the man took off his hood. He was a tall man, with a sharp, hard face that seemed weathered and worn, but his gray eyes sparkled brightly. He couldn't have been more than twenty five years old, yet in those eyes it held wisdom learned through the centuries. Whether used for evil or good, we weren't sure then. We were only certain about one thing: we didn't like him.

Syaoran was unafraid. But with Yami blocking him it didn't make much of a difference. For a while Yami and the stranger eyed each other warily.

Finally the man spoke.  
" My identity is not of your concern." He said. His voice was deep and powerful, enough to make one tremble. But neither Syaoran nor Yami were daunted.  
" Fine then." Yami answered. " What do you want?"  
" I've come for the child."  
" You will not have him until we hear why."  
" You have great power, little one." The stranger replied darkly, " But you cannot withstand me."

" Don't be so sure." Syaoran's young voice answered from behind Yami. " You do not understand the power of the cards, nor do you understand the power of the millenium items. He is not one you can destroy easily."

The man lifted his head and then looked straight at me. What did he see, I wonder? A young, frivolous girl that was in the wrong place at the wrong time? I do not know. All I knew was that his eyes were cold and gleaming, filled with a slyness that could creep anyone out, glimmering like a clouded silver rusted and worn. That one look drove all courage out of me and I was ready to scream.

" Do not look him in the eye." Syaoran's voice seemed far away. " Do not look at him in the eye."  
  
It seemed to take all of my willpower to tear my eyes from his, and the minute I left them the spell was gone. Honda grabbed me as I began to collapse, tired and exhausted from the struggle. I looked at Syaoran. What is wrong with him? Why isn't he moving? Why isn't he worried at all? It seems as if he didn't care that there was a man in the shop that was hurting me, or any one of us.

" Go. We cannot deal with you today." Yami ordered. He had his deck in his hands, ready to fight whenever necessary.  
" I suggest you do not toy with the cards, stranger." Syaoran's cold voice spoke yet again. " They hold more power than you imagine."  
" Much power indeed." The stranger looked at Syaoran in the eye. Syaoran stared steadily back. His eyes began glowing a dark gold. The man's eyes went blank, and slowly, with faltering steps the stranger retreated out of the shop and into the night.  
" Force, know my plight..." Syaoran's eyes glowed brighter, " Release the Light!"

All I remember of that night was a bright ball, that grew and grew until it covered everything in the range of vision, everything in its path, and then dimmed into darkness.

  
  
We didn't talk much about that night because Yami, Yugi and Jou refused to let us. But I kept on thinking about it, even after Yugi told us Syaoran's story. Seto and Ryou took turns caring for the child as usual, but things weren't the same anymore. Syaoran distanced himself from us almost as if we were strangers. But we all knew why he did it.

We visited him each day despite the coldness. Sometimes we brought him something interesting we found at a store. Other times we brought him food. Yugi and Syaoran sometimes played Duel Monsters, but Syaoran was right. He improved, improved up the the point where he could have defeated Seto. But that was it. He couldn't go any further. Yami was frustrated with him.

But what can you do with someone who lost hope? Someone who lost everything dear to him? Because he had just escaped and we simply found him. He did not know who we are other than our names. Or perhaps he did, but barely. Perhaps he knew about the Duelist Kingdom and how we had attempted to save Yugi's grandfather along with Jou's sister. How we had used hope to gain back what we lost. But in Syaoran's case it's different. It's not like his mother would be lingering somewhere with forgotten memories, wondering who the heck she was. It's not like his love Sakura would be floating on an island stranded. It's not like his sisters might be searching in some unknown dimension and Syaoran simply had to fight to get them out. Because they're not here anymore. They're not alive. There is no body to return to. No fate. Their time had been up and they are gone. And unlike all of us, Syaoran _knew _they were gone. Syaoran knew that they would no longer be. He will never find them, because there is nothing to find. No one to find.

So how can Yami teach Syaoran the heart of the cards? If he had lost his heart, the cards will not give him any. But it's not that Syaoran no longer has feelings. He does not believe in them anymore. There was no trust in his eyes, no will in his voice. There was nothing. Just an empty bottle, cute but broken. Cold and hurting to the touch.

He distanced himself even from me. From Seto. From Ryou. Even Mokuba couldn't reach him. But none of us complained. Not even when Syaoran attempted to run again, but was held back by Seto. Just stay a few more days. Only a few more days.

  
  
There are many kinds of people living in this world. Some are like Sakura and Yugi, who openly care for others and trust them because that was how they thought everything worked. Some are like Seto, who has been through strains and harsh hostilities of the everyday world, and are more cautious about everything, but once you get them to trust you, then you can always count on them. Some people are like Pegasus, not just sick minded, but treacherous, able to betray and destroy according to his or her fantasies. Some are like Eriol, polite and kind, but held dark secrets within, good or bad.

Yet Syaoran is none of those. He is the type that will act as if you are worthless. That you are weak, too weak to gain his interest. Sometimes it will seem as if he despises you or even hates you. And then suddenly, you'll realize that he had performed a good deed. And that one deed could change your view of him forever. 


	7. Chapter 6Mokuba

Syaoran

Chapter 6-Mokuba

I wasn't at the game shop the night when the stranger appeared, but Seto did tell me about it. Syaoran changed after that. He no longer played with me, no longer showed me what he could do with his magic. He just sits silent, barely eating, as if contemplating on what he should do.

Sometimes I beg him and he tells me a story, a story about the past, a girl named Meiling, for example, a dear cousin of his as well as his girlfriend. I shuddered at the thought and Syaoran wouldn't reply. He told of how they had trained together, of how Meiling had always given him support. Sometimes he would tell of a story of one of the card captures, the Twin Card, for example, where Sakura had suggested Syaoran and Meiling work together. Or perhaps the Time Card, where every time Sakura uses her Fly card everyone relives the same day over again. Sometimes he would tell of the Change card, first there was a card and they are trying to capture, which would be interrupted by lunch time. And then there gradually grew more to the story, until there was a stuffed animal in Syaoran's body and a Syaoran in a stuffed animal. Which gradually grew to how Syaoran nearly was eaten by a cat, and how Kero had decided to ride in Syaoran's bookbag having ' missed him so long'. Then there would be times when Syaoran would not tell the setting, but realizes that he had more power than he imagined, and saw the past, every single one of them, and nearly went mad. There would be times when he revived a dying soul before it died, without realizing it. The glaring contests with Touya Kinomoto.

Sometimes I catch him practicing his moves outside in the garden. Mostly it would be with a sword, his favorite. Sometimes it wouldn't be with anything. Other times it would be some kind of pole or long stick that came out of nowhere, and he spun it like a helicopter. There were times when he had a whip, and it goes whish! Whish! On and on. It was very cool. Then there were times when the yard was empty, save for a wet ground where Syaoran once was. He would be inside the mansion, and when I find him he would be asleep on big brother's lap. And my brother would tell me to keep quiet and I would, leaving them alone.

But it was not the same. It was like Jou had said. The past follows if you run, and that was exactly what happened. Syaoran realized we were in danger and tried to slowly leave us. Yet he didn't really want to.

  
  
The night Anzu was talking about was the night when Syaoran actually did leave. Had escaped from Seto's grips, in fact. Syaoran had came to us with nothing and tried to leave with nothing. Seto wouldn't have that. I remember that night very well.

" Syaoran, where are you going?" Seto asked, holding Syaoran's wrists very firmly.  
" Let go of me Kaiba." Syaoran replied coldly.  
" Not until you tell me where you're going."  
" Where do you think? Out!" Syaoran yanked his arm, but Seto didn't let go.

For a minute I began to stand up, but Seto warned me with a glare he never used with me before, but I knew it was not directed at me. I sat back down.

" You're not going _out_, as you call it, Syaoran, because I have a feeling that _out_ isn't exactly just that." Seto's voice was hard and strict.

Syaoran responded with a high somersault over Seto's head, which made him let go of Syaoran in surprise. Then Syaoran darted out the door before we could even blink. Syaoran was fast!

" Mokuba, you stay here." My brother ordered, and I desperately wanted to go out with him, I really did. But what could I do? Seto ran out into the night, chasing Syaoran, who was, as I had said, very fast.

I did not see what happened for myself but Ryou had told me. Syaoran had ran on and on, until Yami Bakura had stepped in his way and caught him in his arms. Syaoran had cried out, not in fear but in frustration. Seto had caught up to both of them and both had tried to calm Syaoran down, who began crying.

Then my big brother told Syaoran what we had all wanted to tell him. That he didn't have to be scared. That he didn't have to be alone. Because now we are all here for him. We are his friends. And no matter what dangers there are, we're sticking with him. So he can run. But we'll always be running behind him.

And the thing was, it was true.

  
  
That night Seto took Syaoran home and I remember he looked like...I don't know. Just totally not right. And Seto led both of us to the dining room, and there Seto began to toss any food into Syaoran's bowl of rice just as he does with me. Pork, bits of salmon, sometimes he even wipes the wasabi onto the salmon and then dips it in soy sauce before even letting Syaoran have it. Syaoran for once ate everything hungrily, and I saw that he was trembling the whole way. Seto told me to go to my room and up I did go.

I guess Syaoran's just this type of person. Always thinking of others without seeming to. When I climbed into bed I heard Seto's voice talking with Syaoran and Syaoran sobbing. Did Syaoran know how much he means to me? To all of us? I mean, Syaoran's like my second brother. And Seto cares for him too. Yugi and Yami-why would they try to teach him the Heart of the Cards if Syaoran kept on saying he no longer can use it? And Jou and Honda-they always take Syaoran to the arcades even after that night when the stranger came. Anzu and Mai took him out shopping, the girlish things that they do. And Ryou also tried to take care of him. Because Syaoran was his savior.

  
  
The next day I woke with Syaoran shaking me awake.  
" Come on Mokuba. We're going out with Jou today." He said.

I yawned, then remembered the other night. " Daijoubu, Syaoran-kun?"  
" Hai." Syaoran left the room.

I quickly dressed and went downstairs. Seto was nowhere to be seen.  
" Gone already?" I whined.  
" He does have a company to run." Syaoran grumbled as he gave me some toast. " Let me see, the Do Jonis dropped eleven points, the Nazi dake dropped..." And it was seemed as if nothing had happened the other night.

" Still in bad shape." Syaoran put down the newspaper, and I received a brief image of how Seto must have looked like before I even woke up. Perhaps sitting with a newspaper drinking a cup of coffee, contemplating on stocks?

" He stresses himself too much." Syaoran didn't eat.  
" Aren't you going to have any?" I asked.  
" Iie. I'm not hungry."  
" You were last night."  
" Running takes up energy." Syaoran answered uncomfortably.

I decided to stop. " Why did you want to leave us?"

Syaoran stopped. He looked at me for a minute.  
" Mokuba..."  
" Syaoran, onegai, just tell me. Did we do something wrong? Did we hurt you or something?"  
" Iie, iie," Syaoran began to tremble. " It's not that Mokuba."  
" Don't you care about us anymore?"

I was a child then, eight years old, with very small brains and very not up to date view on current events. I knew I was giving him some trouble. I just didn't know how much. And I was so caught up with my own feelings of frustration that I didn't care what he felt.

" Mokuba..." Syaoran sighed and sat down again, looking at me pleadingly. " I'm so sorry, I didn't know it made you feel that way..." Syaoran lowered his eyes, and that was the first time I saw this side of him, sensitive and vulnerable. " It's just that I didn't want them to hurt you. Any of you. I thought I could just run away." Syaoran smiled. " I can run but I can't hide. I only wanted to lead them away from you. I didn't want to put you all in danger. I care about you Mokuba, all of you. I care about you a lot." Syaoran wiped a tear from his eye. " Take one word of advice from me, Mokuba." He smiled at me. " _Never run and never hide. Problems tend to follow and haunt. Running only makes it worse._" Syaoran got up.  
" Come on Mokuba. We have to go now."

So that was why Seto told Syaoran that no matter what happened we will all stick together as good friends do. That he didn't have to be afraid. Because we are strong as a whole. With Yami, Akira, Ryou and Yugi, Seto and everyone else, we are strong. We are all friends, taking part in the same thing that was thrown to us.

As for why Yami Bakura had helped Syaoran it would be told by Akira. After a while. 


	8. Chapter 7Honda

Syaoran

Chapter 7-Honda

The dude that came in the game shop that night was _totally_ freaky, I mean, _really_ freaky! It was a Thursday night, so, we were basically thinking, ' just a normal day slash night.' and then this dude comes in and freaks everyone out. Not my idea of a Thursday night, no way.

But as to what happened the day where Mokuba finished off, Jou and I took Mokuba and Syaoran to the arcades, since they set up a new game system. I can tell there's something seriously wrong with the Li kid, because he doesn't like those games. What kind of guy _is_ he anyway? I mean, who could _not_ like video games and arcades? That's just _totally_ absurd!

But then again, the kid _is _weird, from the beginning to the end. First he has magical powers, _( _thank Yami for making that clear,) then his friends all died because of twelve dudes that just whacked them somehow, ( Yugi didn't explain very well.) And then the dude comes lookin for him, ( I saw it myself), and then the kid tries to run away, ( Seto gave me a full account of that the following week.) So after the arcade, the kid decides to go to...the library?

What kind of weirdo would want to go to the library? That's just...retarded! The library is filled with books! No games, no TV, nothing but books! And you're not even allowed to talk there!

Okay, maybe whisper, but what fun would that be if you can't yell at Jou for his lamebrainess? And books, books are just..._boring,_

Enough of that, I guess. We went to the public library. Syaoran had a lot of fun, for whatever reason. He got quite a few books using my card, promising me again and again that he'll return them on time. As if I'd care, really. He got some weird books. The Dream of the Red Mansion? Wonder what that is. The Joy Luck Club? I saw that movie. It sucked. The Good Earth? What the heck is that? 

Afterwards, we tried to talk-the only problem was neither Jou nor I could talk to Syaoran. It wasn't because he couldn't understand what we're talking about; it's because we can't understand him. I know it's retarded-I mean, c'mon! We're in high school! The kid's still in elementary school! But I guess we just have no life really, living in this dump, with no money to go anywhere else.

But the kid's rich, man! The Li clan had a piece of land to themselves! The thing was about the size of Taiwan!

Okay. I guess I'm exaggerating _a little bit,_ because the truth is I really don't know how big Hong Kong is. I already have enough trouble with geometry-( sine cosine tangent and their wonderful brothers and sisters), and I have had just enough about all those literature books and all the socal studies we had to do. ' Cause seriously, you have to admit, school is-

Never mind.

Speaking of which, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah, the kid. He's _rich_, I mean, Bill Gates rich. Seto Kaiba rich. In fact, I don't doubt that he's richer than Pegasus, Kaiba, and Gates _combined._

Alright, he once was...and the richness was shared by a family anyhow. So actually-

And now all the wealth is gone.

Boo.

  
  
Let me explain how the Li clan is like. There is this land almost the size of Taiwan, and then there is a house for each immediate family ( ex. Brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, but no grandmas, grandpas, aunts or uncles), and each house is only one story, so it covers quite a big piece of land. Every house was one of those temple style roofed houses that you see around Kyoto or something like that. There was a big gate towards Hong Kong-guarded, of course, by our famous lions that look like dragons, and the gate was made of...something. Anyways, far into there, the first house is actually Syaoran's, which sits along the middle and the fork splits. The houses are arranged in a circular fashion, and so there was a huge lake in the middle of it all with...everything. ( Mosquitoes, ewwww.) But the thought of it made me want to go-until-I mean, I...you know, it's not...exactly there anymore...

In the lake were _tons_ of goldfish and I really mean _tons_. Seriously! Millions! The way the kid described them it's like when you have a gathering of sock eyed salmon waiting to lay their eggs, that's how many there are. And you can toss bread into the water and watch the fish fight over it. That's so darn cool! The water was so clear you can see the dirt on the bottom, and what clean dirt they are, because it's not exactly all dirt. There were soft vegetarian plants growing on the bottom, so if you swim there...

Never mind.

And then there's this forest surrounding the back of the area so that deer sometimes wander accidentally into the middle of the crowd. Mokuba wanted to see them until- you know, it's-not exactly...there anymore.

And the freaky part was Syaoran actually had the heart to tell us these things. I mean, if I were him I would just cry as I am telling, but he's just sharing them as if they were just something he read in a book. No emotion, no voice cracking, no sobs, no tears, no nothin.

  
  
I mean, come on! Even Kaiba would be crying right now. So what if he lost his fai-

Never mind.

So that time we took him back to Kaiba's place and the next day they went shopping for decent clothes for Syaoran with Mai and Anzu.

  
  
" Boy," Jou was saying as we went back to the arcade. " Kid's sure rich. Could have helped me with my sister with all the money he has..."  
" Be quiet. Even if he did, he doesn't know you. Why would he lend _you_ the money of all people?" I pointed out.  
" Ah, that's not called for." Jou warned. I decided I was a little too awed with Syaoran's stories to cope with another playfight.

And Syaoran did call us very immature.

(^_^)

The next day we went over to Seto's. Syaoran, as I already told you, was out with Mai so he could wear somethin more practical than that costume of his. ( When Anzu and Mai came back they said something about Syaoran really _really_ liking...green? And something about his addiction to chocolate...) Anyways, Seto was really screwed up, man. He was having really _really_ bad headaches.

" Syaoran was like a god this morning," Seto mumbled as he rubbed his head. " I don't know how he does it. I woke up with this killer headache and I was sitting in my office. Syaoran was getting bored," ( Mai and Anzu were late), " And then I was complaining about my headache. He offered to help me. I didn't know what he was planning so I refused, but he insisted, saying it would hurt a little."  
" A little!" Seto laughed this time. " It was like he was trying to drown out my headache with another source of pain! He was merciless, I tell you guys. I was sore for a few minutes, I thought he was trying to kill me. He slapped me on the back and went with Mai and Anzu, and you know what? After a few minutes, the headache was gone! But I guess the computer didn't help keep it that way." Seto glared at the back door of his office. He was having lunch with us.  
" Really?" Jou blinked, intrigued. " Then maybe I should ask him to help me with my headaches."  
  
Seto laughed at that. " It would't work, gomen Jou, but my headaches are from work and stress. Yours are from...banging your head on the wall."

This caused laughter among all of us, even Jou, because he wasn't really in the mood to act like a baka.

" You know, alcohol can also cause headaches. Do you drink?" I asked.  
" Drink?" Kaiba blinked. " Oh...a little, I guess. Mostly with Russians." We laughed at that. " But seriously, I don't drink a lot. I don't mind stress really. I don't mind taking aspirin either. But sometimes when you're doing business, you have to be a little more sociable then you perhaps want. And then there are parties, sometimes I was invited and I have to go or offend them. Mokuba proves to be a way of escape but not much."  
" Hai! But in any case, the guy is quite dependant."  
" Too dependant. That's what Syaoran says. And he's right." Seto sighed.  
" But I don't get it," Jou blinked. " Why'd you have to drink at parties?"  
" Because others drink, numbskull." Seto laughed. " It's one of those rituals, sometimes you just have to do that to appear professional. You know how classical orchestras are like, hai? They always practice practice practice, and than comes tuning-three sessions, and then the conducter comes, wala, the symphony begins. I saw Swan Lake at the Bolshoi, but the way. It was mighty interesting. Of course, afterwards I had to drink one cup of vodka." Seto looked at the ceiling, as if for inspiration. " There was this one guy there that threw up. Poor man. But anyway, I do drink a little, so it's not one of those sips or things like that. But I _don't_ smoke." He gave us a warning glare.

We laughed. Seto was becoming more and more open. Maybe because of Syaoran?

" Of course, all the attention was given to the artists." Seto attempted to bow while sitting, making it look very comical." They were really good. You can't perform in the Bolshoi unless it's _perfect_, that's why, and the Russians have the best artistic education. If Vienna is the Classical Music Performance Haven, then Russia is the Musical Education Haven." Seto laughed at his own awkward wording.

" Oh please!" Jou was laughing. " We have a Mozart Lover in our midst!"  
" Hey, there's a reason why he's so famous." Seto pointed out. " I wonder, what would Anzu and Mai buy for Syaoran?"  
" A nice black suit with a black silk tie?" I suggested.  
" Oh c'mon!" Jou laughed.  
" Really, that would be quite cute." Seto nodded at me, amused. " But I seriously doubt that. Mai and Anzu have a different taste for fashion. And doubtless Syaoran does too."  
" Wonder why he ran away in such a hurry without packing anything." Jou muttered.  
" He was terrified. The kids, they're not all killed." Seto answered. " There were some who survived. Tomoyo's mother, Sonomi, for example. And then there was Sakura's brother and father."  
" She has a brother?" I asked.  
" Hai." Seto nodded. " She does. Syaoran's just scared of them. And after all that happened I don't think Tomoeda would feel very homelike."  
" Hai." We nodded. There was an uncomfortable silence.

" Well," Seto rose. ' It's time for me to get to my office. Mai and Anzu are going to drop Syaoran off at Ryou's place, if you want to see him."  
" Alright." We nodded. " Ja!"


	9. Chapter 8Yami

Syaoran

Chapter 8-Yami 

It was several nights after the first immortal's appearance when the memory came back to me. I knew I was a pharoah, but I do not remember what I had done in the past.

The child did not speak much to me about my life. I only knew the little he told us about Akira in the past. And even then by his nickname, Yami Bakura, or Zei, which either means thief or madman, Syaoran never told us which. But then the memory struck me so suddenly I was shakened by it. 

The night when Syaoran tried to leave us, I stayed in Yugi's room just inspecting things. It didn't occur to me that I had never paid attention to his room before, giving Yugi the reason to worry. I was too deep in my thoughts to realize that until he spoke.

" Yami, are you alright?" He asked, quiet, as if afraid to disturb.  
" Oh?" I blinked. Then I sighed. " Oh. Hai, I'm alright. Just...remembering."  
" About Yami Bakura?" Yugi asked.  
" Iie." I admitted. " Just something in the past. My past."  
" Care to share?" Yugi smiled.  
" It's awfully long. Are you in for long stories?" I asked. " I hear that you don't like History in school."  
" Blah, listening about Chairman Mao? No way. But I'm more interested in _ancient_ history." There was a queer smirk on him.

I smiled. " I was just remembering a slave a long time ago." I began. " My servant. That time our politics and economy are based on slavery, you know that. So it wasn't strange that I had a slave, being a pharoah." I sat down by his bed as he pulled his legs up to listen more comfortably.

" I didn't remember it until recently. He did look a little like Syaoran, same eyes. His hair was blacker though, much blacker. His skin was pale. But he had the same glow to his eyes, a glow that dims from time to time. Long thin neck, I wonder how he managed to grow it. He was very little, a little kid, very cute, now that I think of it. He was short and small, awfully young. Eleven? Twelve? Maybe even ten, when I first met him. He looks small, but he was awfully strong." I chuckled.  
" Kind of like Syaoran." Yugi laughed.  
" Kind of like you!" I laughed back. " Although you don't have his strength, iie."  
" Hey, it's not my fault!" Yugi sulked.  
" Don't worry. I'm only teasing you." I sighed. " You do have a strong heart. Just like he did so many years ago. I remember his name was Tarkot. Tarkot. But I didn't know it at first. We met when he was found in the palace grounds. It was forbidden for any peasant to pass through it, and when the guards found him they took him to me to be judged."  
" As he was young, and very_ very_ defiant, I couldn't exactly punish him in any way. Had I been in a better mood that day perhaps I would have let him go. But he was so haughty, so defiant, perhaps because he was terrified, I didn't let him go-he worsened my temper. So I kept him. I don't know why, I just did."  
" So that's how he became your slave? Just like that? Was he an Egyptian?" Yugi asked.  
" Hai." I answered the first two. " But he was not an Egyptian. He looks like an Asian, I know he's not an egyptian but I never asked."  
" Why not?"  
" Because he was a slave."  
" Oh."  
" He was a little child. I don't know what I was thinking. At first I didn't see him for quite a while, nearly forgot about him, until one time he fell into my room."  
" Fell?"  
" Quite frankly. Someone pushed him in. He got up and saw me. I was right behind him, curious to see what had happened. It was a child of one of the scribes, who was awfully proud and...more or less of a bully. Tarkot just stared at me for a minute, studying me, and then, as if satisfied that I wouldn't do anything, simply ran off."  
" But you didn't let the other kid go did you?" Yugi asked.  
" Iie. I gave him a stern warning. The poor child went away terrified. He couldn't have been more than thirteen."  
" How old were you then?"  
" Two years older."  
" Whoa."  
" Hai." I nodded. " I think I was fifteen or so. But that time fifteen years is a longer time then they consider nowadays. We don't live until we're eighty. A fifty year old man would be considered a really old man. I was young, but not as young as you think. I was considered an adult by then."  
" Oh."  
" In any case," I sighed, " I went to look for Tarkot. I just called him, " Slaveboy!"" I chuckled a little at the memory. " Tarkot immediately froze, and stared at me, as if wondering what was going on this time. The servants fell silent at the sight of me. There were several slaves that were boys, so they didn't know which one I was calling.   
" At first I just went out into the garden with him. He was not allowed in the palace gardens so I had to beckon to him. It seemed that Tarkot had become a lot more obedient during his stay. But one thing remained clear to me from that day.'  
" What?" Yugi asked.  
" That he will never belong to me." I chuckled. " It sounds strange, doesn't it? I owned him. He was my slave. I order him. I could have him whipped, punished. I can give him chores or work. But he told me he will never belong to me."  
" That made you angry?"  
" Hai, it made me angry. I didn't yell at him; he was so small. But I made it clear that I was angry with him. He didn't care though. He was no longer afraid of me anymore. Then he asked me the strangest question.  
' Do you know who you are?' He asked me. And of course, I laughed at the question. ' I am Bel um Fel, of course! The Pharoah of the Egyptian Lands! The Living Horus! Of course I know who I am!'  
But my answer did not seem to satisfy him. ' Are you only the Pharoah and the Living Horus?' It was so bold I was surprised. " Are you only the ruler of Egypt, my lord?'

I was surprised, and also amused. ' Then what are you, my young child? What have you to speak this way to the one who rules you?'  
' I am one of those who made you Pharoah, my lord.' He answered, almost timidly. ' If those like myself do not exist, you would not be pharoah.'

At first I did not understand. And then suddenly I did. I was only pharoah because the people believed I was pharoah. I was only the ruler because I had people to rule. If Egypt was just an empty piece of land, then I would not be able to rule. It was those like Tarkot that had made up Egypt, it was those like Tarkot that I had ruled over. It shamed me that I did not realize it sooner, and so I countered,  
' What right do you have to be proud of yourself, my child?' I asked. " What brings you such honor?'  
' I know who I am.' He answered very quietly. ' I know who I am and who I was. I will not forget myself. And because I know who I am I know that you are not Horus, living or no. You could have been in my stead should fate have twisted the loom.'

This rashfulness could have costed him his head if I had been in any other mood. I studied this smart child for a long moment and I saw the fear in his eyes, but behind the fear there was nothing. No anger, no hatred, no happiness or sorrow. There was no respect or pride. Just an empty fear at something he did not understand.

Afterwards I knew I liked him." I smiled again, sighing. " Afterwards I knew I liked him. We talked some time afterwards. He learned to respect me, but always his words were the same when I asked him who he was. ' I am myself. And only I know who I am and shall remember.'

I taught him myself how to read and write. Sometimes I took him with me at parties and allowed him to sit beside me. We could have been friends if I had been any other person. I was not cold. I was not cruel. I was simply a ruler, so I did not hide the fact that I was fond of the child. Tarkot did not reveal whether he loved or hated me. At first it seemed that he only endured me. At least, as apparent as he could make it.

Then one time I was eating. Tarkot gave me a very vague warning, but still I caught it.  
' Careful.' He said. ' Some foods are bitter. Some have been tainted.'

Of course, when dealing with someone like him, I took the warning to be dealing with foods only. And then I realized that he was also talking about the food, but there was something else.

There was a traitor among us. Some people are bitter. Some had been tainted. The message was so vague no one caught it. But I was no fool and he wasn't either. I didn't catch the traitor until one night Tarkot sent me a box with a boar's heart with a knife stacked in it. It was so gruesome and smelled so awful the nobles adviced me to kill him for such impudence. I told them I'll think about it, but I was thinking about the heart. Then it hit me. Someone was planning to stab me, ' in the heart with a dagger', and Syaoran simply risked being misinterpreted to tell me this without seeming to.

I kept awake that night, with a few guards in my room. In the dark a figure slipped through the door and made its way to the bed where I should have been. The guards grabbed him. He was sentenced to death."

" Wow. He's smart." Yugi's eyes were shining in admiration. " But you're smart too, figuring that out."  
" Still I didn't know his name." I went on. " I didn't until one of the servants talked to me about him. She was a babbler, very sweet and pretty but talks too much. Ai, she does. But I learned some things about him." I slipped into silence, suddenly shocked numb.  
" What is it?" Yugi asked.  
" Oh my god," I covered my mouth, gasping. " I think...I think Syaoran was Tarkot. Syaroan_ is_ Tarkot! They are living parallel lives right now, parallel lives..."  
" Parallel lives?" Then Yugi got it. " I'll get paper and see what we can make of it."  
" Hai, do that." I nodded. Yugi sat down at the desk, turning on the light, and ordered me. " Tell me the first thing that you know."  
" He was born into a peasant family," I began. Yugi wrote, ' born as peasant'.   
" By the time he's three, his father committed a crime. My father found out he was attempting to steal the riches from one of the tombs. He killed him."  
' Father a thief and executed when he was three', was what Yugi wrote.  
" He had a mother and two sisters, two brothers, all older than he." I continued. " Worked hard for his mother. When he was ten there was a plague, which took his family and friends. He ran to the castle grounds and the guards captured him."  
" Alright," Yugi sighed. " Anything else?"  
" That's it for the parallelism." I closed my eyes. Yugi encouraged me to go on.

" The whole Shadow Game argument began when Tarkot saw my summoning cards." I closed my eyes again, remembering the whole scene very clearly. " At that time only the rich were allowed to play. I found out he had no idea what the game was and figured the knowledge of it wouldn't hurt.

At first he was simply interested in the monsters themselves. He found several very pretty, his words were. I was amused, but also a little annoyed. I decided to end this foolishness and teach to him what the cards were really about.

He understood immediately. But he didn't understand the nature of the game. It wasn't his fault really, Tarkot did not persuade me to teach him, nor did he beg. I did it on my own. I told him the rules of the game. Kind of like to Syaoran." I swallowed. " And he beat me on the first try. I was going easy on him, really easy, so I wasn't really surprised. Tarkot decided he wasn't interested in the game, so it was like that for a while.

Then one day he picked up the cards and muttered something about ' The End of Days'. I was slightly troubled over this comment because he had the reputation of meaning more than he said. He mentioned the same comment several times when he picked up the summoning cards in my room. And then for a while I had to settle matters among nobles in Egypt.

Then one day, during lunch, Tarkot came to me and told it to me directly. The monsters are dangerous! You have to stop it! The game could mean the end of Egypt, or your life, for that matter. And for a minute I didn't know whether to be amused or angry. A servant! A slave! Telling me this! Ha! What's the pharoah for, if he cannot tell what is dangerous and what is not? What position is the servant to tell me this? So for a minute I was silent, and then some of the nobles began to laugh at him. I decided to laugh too. Tarkot retreated, completely defeated, for that round. I shook my head at him and went on eating.

That night when I was preparing for bed Tarkot came to me again. This time, I felt I had the right to be annoyed, and I scolded him for his boldness. I knew I was wrong; Tarkot wasn't bold at all. He pleaded to me with a certain desperation in his eyes, but I chose to ignore it. I still remember that look, the sad glow, the desperate gaze. And when I rebuked him, he retreated, again defeated, a sad look, a pleading look in his eyes, before he disappeared outside.

This went on for some time, until I was very angry with him. He didn't dare face me again, not like that, pleading. Instead, one day, I was free for once, wondering if I should go on a hunting trip or not, when Tarkot challenged me to a duel."

" He challenged you?" Yugi asked, astonished. " But...he had the nerve?"  
" Hai." I nodded. " If anyone is brave enough to do that, it is Tarkot. Akira, well, Akira did it out of revenge, not out of courage. Tarkot challenged me to a duel. I have no idea where he got his summoning cards from. I was angry at him, but I accepted, wanting to teach the youngster a lesson. He gave half of the price of the game; if he wins, I stop the Shadow Games, and if I win, he'll have to accept any kind of punishment. I wasn't going to lose. The Shadow Games were a source of my power. I will not let him take that away. But Tarkot was a good player. He had a determined look in his eyes, and in the end, he nearly won. But I pulled a trick, snatching victory out of defeat. He lost all of his lifepoints.

I sentenced him to a hundred lashes and two nights in the dungeon, so angry I was that he dared challenge me after annoying me with his pesky warnings. Tarkot accepted without a word, without a word of desperation. He went quietly. The next time I saw him there was a complete change in him. He looked like someone who has gone insane. Pale and sick he looked, his eyes lost their glow, so instead they were dull, like unpolished stone, or rusted silver. When I call to him he started, as if waiting for another blow. I realized I had punished him too severely.

After a while it seemed he couldn't take it. He tried to run away. The guards found him and dragged him in late at night. I was woken by all the noise and I demanded what was going on. He had snuck out and was nearly out of the palace grounds when the guards caught him. I was angry, and rightly so. He had challenged me, and yet he commited another crime! But my punishment was not justified though. I sentenced him to another full day in the dungeon.

This time he went awfully quiet. He did not speak a word, did not respond to my questions, even if I order him to answer when he was asked. For a while I pondered on how to cure him, but those thoughts vanished when he challenged me to another duel. I was reluctant, I didn't want to be angry at him again. But I saw the familiar glow in his eyes. The conditions were the same.

It was such a close call! I was so close to losing, in the end I won, one to zero. I daresay there was never such a score in a game before, not a game like this. I was shakened, so shakened I couldn't think clearly, but somehow I punished him badly.'

' Shortly after," My voice cracked a little. " Shortly after-he was such a smart child Yugi. Shortly after he just...gave up. He started to sway one day. At first I thought he was drunk, that he had drank some forbidden wine. But there was no smell of alcohol on him. Then my mind clicked. When I felt his forehead I did not have to feel my own to know he was hot. Hot! He was scorching, flushing deep red. Then in a few days he just collapsed and couldn't do anything anymore. He was so delirious, calling to his mother, his siblings, his father, his friends, naming them one by one and telling them all about life in the palace as if they were still alive. I remember going to his room. I never had done anything like that for any slave that was ill. But I went to his room. He was telling his dead memories that he had tried so hard to save the pharoah, but the pharoah wouldn't listen. I entered the room, wanting to tell him that I will listen. And at the sight of me-the sight of me was the last sight he saw. And I rushed to his bed, repeating over and over, " I'm sorry, I'm sorry Tarkot, I'm so sorry for everything." I felt tears trickle down my cheeks. " I'm so sorry for not listening to you, for yelling at you, for punishing you, please, forgive me!"

But he didn't forgive me and never had since. No matter how many times I apologized-I had never apologized to anyone before, but to him I apologized so many times, I almost thought my apologies would be enough. But...

He never woke up."

Yugi was silent for a long moment. We stared at each other for a while, and I felt so scared all of the sudden. I realized what it must have been like for Syaoran, remembering his past and all its blood and horror. Regret, guilt, horror...

  
  
Yugi wrote what I told him and I had never felt so guilty. I almost wished I didn't remember it.

" Li Syaoran." Yugi announced. " Born into a rich family," He said it so I could forget. " We don't know about his father. Had four sisters, no brothers. Also four siblings, I see. At age ten twelve guys murdered his family and friends. Oh my god this is freaky." Yugi shook his head. " But Yami, there's an empty space here. Do you think something happened to his father?"  
" Maybe." I answered.  
" And then, another thing, he ran away over here and we found him, or rather this time it was Ryou."  
" And it was with his will." I looked over Yugi's shoulder.   
" The events are different but the outcomes are the same." Yugi pointed. " He was in a peasant family before, but now Syaoran is born into a rich one. We don't know about his father so we can't compare. Had four siblings, although before he had two sisters and two brothers, while this time they were all sisters."  
" Age ten there was a plague in Egypt," I pointed. " Age ten some other evil came."  
" Age ten his family and friends died of disease, age ten his family and friends were murdered. Both died, anyway." Yugi shuddered. " All these deaths. Tarkot ran away, Syaoran ran away. Tarkot was caught and captured. Syaoran was caught and invited."  
" You can say that."  
" How old was Tarkot when he died?"  
" Twelve? I don't know."

Yugi leaned back. " It's not your fault Yami." Yugi continued. " Maybe it was some other reason. Something might have happened to him. The Shadow Games shouldn't have been enough to kill him if he is a strong willed boy."  
" Maybe." I mumbled.  
" But I guess that is not important right now." Yugi leaned forward and I looked over his shoulder. " We know that Tarkot tried to escape many times. Maybe Syaoran would try to escape for a different reason."

I didn't like that.

" And since we also know that the twelve immortals are still after Syaoran, I guess we could say that Tarkot died of the plague."  
" I never thought of that before..." I blinked. " And perhaps since the Shadow Games were partly responsible for Tarkot's death, perhaps Duel Monsters would be too..."  
" Maybe." Yugi looked up at me. " But I'm still puzzled here. What about Syaoran's father? There's an empty space here. We never heard him speak of his father before."  
" Iie, we didn't." I blinked thoughtfully. " Perhaps...his father died when he was three. But since the Li clan was a respectable clan I doubt he died of capital punishment."  
" I doubt it also." Yugi looked at me. " Do you think...we should ask?"  
" Maybe." I shrugged. " If Tarkot's father played any role in his death, maybe Syaoran's father will too. We ought to know anyway."

But in the end it wasn't us that Syaoran told the story of his father to. It was actually Akira. 


	10. Chapter 9Akira

Syaoran

Chapter 9-Akira

Akira was my original name. My name when I was younger, five thousand years younger in fact. Now you can just say I am Yami, but since Yugi's dark side already took that name I guess my name is now Yami Bakura. Perhaps " Yami Ryou" would have been more appropriate, but I am what people call me. My name is Akira, Yami Bakura, and Zei, which quickly turned back to Akira.

Syaoran is actually Tarkot, or his reincarnation. I actually met Tarkot once. I never harmed him because he was a child and he was so kind to me. And I knew that Tarkot did not know of the tension between the Pharoah and me. I didn't meet Tarkot after the Pharoah and I dueled-it was before that, when I was twelve. The Pharoah was visiting the lands of Egypt outside his palace grounds and Tarkot was with him. By that time Tarkot was already punished many times and sought comfort in someone other than his lord. And so he came to me. Or I came to him.

It's really hard to tell which way it was. We just met in the middle of the road. He had the most amazing eyes, eyes that seem to see far away into the future, yet was wrecked with the pain of the present. And it seemed that he saw right through me, immediately understanding me.

I asked him if he wanted to play the Shadow Games. He told me no, he did not want to. I told him, most Egyptians love the game, yet it seemed as if he feared it. So I asked him why.

I did not find out until Yami found Syaoran in the streets one night, but that is for Yami to tell, not me.

Unlike Yami I remembered everything about my past even after I was released. At first it wasn't because I remembered Tarkot that I took great interest in Syaoran. It was simply because in him I recognized myself and had thought I found a partner in crime. Syaoran was very smart. And then, like a huge explosion, I found out that he and Tarkot share the same eyes, yet Tarkot's are filled with knowledge while Syaoran's were just...just empty. But I did not doubt that they had once been bright and glowing, although Syaoran soon told me it was a long time ago.

That was why I helped Syaoran that night when he first attempted to run away. I recognized Tarkot. In this case, Syaoran was partly wrong; I do know what friendship is. And that brief moment of friendship was enough to soothe me a little, although not enough to calm my wrath. But as a favor returned I soothed the child just as he had soothed me so many years ago.

After he and the girls went ' shopping', Ryou had gone to the kitchen when Syaoran was staying at his place. I just materialized and Syaoran was not afraid. I was so use to fear that at first I was a bit annoyed, but he just raised his calm and steady eyes, dull and empty, and that was enough to stop me. I simply stopped, and just looked at him. Then he smiled, beckoning me to sit.

We talked a little. He told me personally about some of his adventures he had never told Mokuba. How he had helped Sakura capture the Power Card without her ever knowing it. The attempts at acting in Sleeping Beauty that was rudely interrupted by the Light and Dark Cards. How he was forced to wear a pink dress and a humiliatingly hot wig. Rehearsals, trying to force a kiss but too embarrassed to. The ice skating trip that went all wrong because the Freeze Card decided to freeze something other than plain ice. How he had listened to Eriol and was put under a spell and fell from the tree right into Eriol's arms. The Final Judgement, how he was so hurt by it.

Then he explained something about his personality. He was an obnoxious brat, he said, no better than a gaki, and gave some trouble to his friends and family. He was not use to smiling or laughing, in fact, he had never laughed so much in his life until he was with us. But he did not laugh because he was truly happy, he said. He laughed because he was lonely, quite ironic, he stated. He was lonely and so he laughed because he wondered if that was how to make friends. When I mentioned that he seemed to be a strong yet a sorrowing boy he hesitated and began another story.

" When I was three," He began, " My father, Raiden, took me to a festival at a gathering of sorcerors. That night my mother was not there because she was not feeling well, and my sisters were all out with their friends at a sleepover party. I was alone with my father and I loved to be that way, completely alone with him without anyone to bother us.

It was actually pleasant at first. I got to know quite a few sorcerors, and they seemed to take great interest in me. One of the many things they commented on was my eyes, ' enough to rival the glare of the sun,' they said. That time, my mother told me my eyes just glow without any moonlight, like shiny lamps or fireflies that just light and never dim.

My father was a good man. He was favored by many and well liked. But when we started on our way home, it was early in the morning or late in the night, when we were assaulted. I sensed it first, sensed a black shadow in the blackest depths of the night that did not belong to it. I tried to warn my father, and my father listened but did not understand. Not until too late."

He said it so emotionlessly I wondered if he was telling another ghost story. But deep in my heart I knew it was not.

" There were many sorcerors, all dressed in black, none of them present at the festival. All had their staffs held proudly before them, like an executioner preparing for a blow. My father was a strong sorceror. But they were stronger still. Father stepped in front of me, shielding me from them, asking them,   
' What do you want?'

I do not remember what they wanted, but whatever they wanted it was not good and my father wouldn't let them have it. There was a fierce battle, filled with lights and flame. In the end my father lost, weakened, looking up at them, refusing to give up. They laughed at his weakness. With one strike, a sword cut through his neck.

I did not run. I screamed, shouting for my father. He did not answer. His throat was cut open and filled with blood. They took him by his hair, his head without a body and a body without a head, and held it in front of me, as if asking me if I would play with it. My father's face was stone cold, his eyes were still open and glaring. I thought he was glaring at me, angry at me, and I only screamed more, starting to run away. But I was three years old. I slipped and fell. I landed in a puddle of his blood. One of the grabbed me and I kicked. Then they slammed me into the puddle and I blacked out.

I do not know what had saved me from them. I was unconscious. When I woke I was still in the same place. But this time there was only my father's skeletal body. There was no head with a face on it. Instead there was a skull, a skull of a nameless being. There was no blood, no flesh. No clothes. His bones were scattered and dogs were chewing on them. One of them was sniffing at me, and I quickly backed off. Annoyed, it ignored me and worked on the bones that still lied around. I wanted them to stop. I wanted them to stop dishonoring my father this way. They didn't, and what could I do? What could I do that all the clothes were chewed and all the blood lapped by dogs? The flesh eaten by dogs, bones crunched, glaring eyes that were swallowed so that only the sockets remained.

I cried the whole time until they found me. By that time the bones were dust and they no longer had any form. I cried until they found me and I never wept a single tear since. It wasn't because I sorrowed over my father. I remember the love but I no longer feel it. It was because I realized that I had lost something that night, much more than just my father. That night I forgot who I was. And I never remembered since."

  
  
It was nervewrecking, as I recall. Not just because it was almost parallel to Tarkot, but because Syaoran told the story in the coldest manner, as if he didn't care that he was telling a memory that should not have been taken lightly. I remember when my parents died. I hated the world for it. But to listen to a child that does not hate the world, but instead distances himself from it, made me feel guilty and foolish. It wasn't because his way of dealing with it was any smarter than mine. It was because he was able to rouse sympathy from everyone who heard his story, while I was only able to raise disgust and contempt from all those around me.

  
  
Afterwards it was Yami and Yugi who told us of the parallel fates. I was the one that told everyone else of what happened to Syaoran's father. All this was done when Syaoran was out with Mokuba in the library. I've never seen a kid so addicted to it, and since Mokuba was the type of youngster to look up to people who were, in turn, nice to him, he was starting to get rubbed off on...

Not that it's bad, really.

Kaiba didn't say _anything_ as I told them the story. I wasn't as graphic as Syaoran was, but they still had a gruesome look on their faces when I finished.   
" Lapped by a dog!" Anzu shivered. " That's hideous! It makes every dog look so disgusting!"  
" Didn't the kid have nightmares then?" Jou asked.  
" I never asked." I admitted. " He said that he lost himself that night. He said that he use to be obnoxious and bratty."  
" Seto." Yami said flatly.  
" And he was very cold, never laughs much, doesn't smile-"  
" Seto." Honda agreed.  
" He doesn't cry either-"  
" Seto."  
" What the heck are you saying my name for?" Seto sat up, annoyed.  
" Because Syaoran's the young version of you." I explained.  
" Nan-I, oh my god." Seto growled. He sat back.  
" Bastards." He mumbled.  
" In any case," I went on, " If Yami's story was true, then no doubt we can expect more runaway attempts-"  
" And something happening concerning with Duel Monsters." Honda finished.  
" And we can't let that happen." Jou twitched. " God, this is so annoying!"  
" Damare." I said. And shut up he did, perhaps because of the glare I gave him. " We don't need you to tell us that. We can help Syaoran in a few ways.

One, we can try to convince him that we are just as good friends as his former ones are, thus getting his will back so he can fight the twelve immortals, or another way is to fight the immortals ourselves if we know how. Another way is to try to let him understand the cards, so he could perhaps use and reveal the magic within them."

" None of them are easy," Yami looked at Yugi. " Because Syaoran is a tough child. It's hard enough to get him to lose his will in the first place, how are we to get it back? And we don't know how the immortals use their magic or fight. They probably have different rules. And Syaoran doesn't have much time to reveal the magic within the cards."  
" There's no one left to ask." Anzu sighed.  
" Iie." Jou contradicted. " There's still someone left."  
" Who?" Ryou asked. " Who could be left? His friends are dead. His family is also. Who's left?"

" He mentioned something about Sakura's oni-chan." Jou told us.

That guy can be so unpredictable. 


	11. Chapter 10Ryou

Syaoran

Chapter 10-Ryou

Tomoeda was a grave contrast to our town. It was a lot cleaner and the houses were less old and ragged. There were less bullies around and great many decent people. I realized immediately why Duel Monsters never came to this place; everyone here has a life and they do not need the game to keep their lives going.

People knew where the Kinomoto's lived so it wasn't hard to find. It was a yellow house, large, with a blue roof on the top. If it had been in any other shape or size the yellow color would have looked digusting, but because it was bright and vegatarians grow fruitfully about them it actually looked quite decent.

We rang the doorbell, hoping that the Kinomotos wouldn't hate Syaoran that much as to kick us out. We didn't expect anyone to like us-I expect Yugi and I look like ragamuffins compared to the people who live here. There was a rush of steps and the sounds of the lock slowly being unlocked. The door opened and out peered...

He looked a little like Seto Kaiba, that I'll tell you. The same dark eyes, although they were brown this time, darkish, but there was the same flicker to them. Same mop of hair, a little messier though. Tall, lean figure that was both strong and intimidating. Yugi perhaps was thinking the same thoughts I was.

" Ano, konnichiwa, is this the Kinomoto residence?" I asked nervously.  
" Hai," He eyed me and Yugi before asking, " Who are you?"  
" We're...friends of, Li Syaoran," Yugi said uncertainly, " We've come here for your help..."

The Kinomoto eyed us warily and then straightened, beckoning us to come in. We entered timidly, a little awed at how clean and bright the place is.  
" Please make yourselves comfortable-your names are...?" The Kinomoto asked.  
" My name is Ryou Bakura." I bowed. " And this is Yugi Motou."  
" Alright. Please make yourselves comfortable. Would you like some tea?"  
" Ano..." We were a little unused to this kind of formality. " Hai?"  
" Green?"  
" Hai, domo arigatou."

The Kinomoto left and went to the kitchen. Soon he appeared with a tray of three teacups, and a teapot in the middle. He poured all of us some tea including himself, and we sat down on the couch together while he sat on another. We sipped our tea for a minute.

" You can call me Touya." He continued. " How's the little guy doing?"  
" Who, Syaoran?" Yugi blinked. " Ano, he's...healthy, physically, I guess."  
" I've heard you and he don't get along well." I blurted. Shoot, my big mouth.

Touya laughed. " True. In the end, however, it's all lame nonsense. And jealousy, I guess." He suddenly looked mournful. " You specified physically."  
" Hai. He's not...fitting in very well." Yugi swallowed.  
" No wonder. Where did you come from?"  
" Ano..." Both of us were suddenly ashamed. " Not a very good town."  
" I see." Touya nodded. " Poor child. He left without even seeing me. I guess if he came here he would have stayed."

We were silent for a minute.

" He's very scared." I told Touya.  
" Undoubtedly." Touya nodded, sitting up. " So what did you come here for? No doubt you have a bit of magic, I do sense them. That's an interesting puzzle you're wearing, Yugi-san. What does it do?"  
" Oh, ano," Yugi was caught by surprise. " Actually, I don't really know, the best person to ask is...Yami."  
" Yami. No wonder. I thought it felt dark. But you speak of him as a person. Who is Yami?"  
" My darker half," And then there was a bright glow. Touya did not seem surprised when Yami appeared, nor did he seem surprised when Akira did either. But he was a little tense.  
" Curious." He said thoughtfully. " Very curious."

They all sat down, and Touya placed his teatray on the table, and then sat back.  
" I'm hoping that you do not have permanent hard feelings for Syaoran," Yami said cautiously.  
" Oh, iie, iie." Touya shook his head, just as serious. " What do you need? Just ask."  
" We found out that Syaoran is living a parallel life with a person many many years ago," Yugi explained. " My Yami was a Pharoah of Egypt several thousand years ago. That person had gone through the same sequence of events that Syaoran has so far, and we are hoping that you can somehow help us prevent the outcome."  
" What does his fate look like now?" Touya asked.  
" It seems like this." I began. " According to his past life, Syaoran is going to run into some trouble with the game, Duel Monsters. We probably would be attacked by the twelve immortals that...I'm sure you know of. Right now Syaoran is very depressed, the first thing that sparks the end of his life."  
" I see." Touya interrupted. " This new game, _Duel_ _Monsters_, is more than just a game, isn't it?"  
" Nani?" We all blinked.  
" I'm right then." Touya nodded. " Your items. They are made of magic. No doubt they have something to do with Duel Monsters. The twelve immortals are still alive. Syaoran is depressed. I'm not really sure how I can help you on this one, but I will try. Syaoran was not a likable child and was not easily won over. He's very loyal, however. I would suggest you try to bring his faith back, hmm, it would be hard."

He didn't sound like a brother who has lost a dear sister. It was more of because he still has someone else to save. Or perhaps it was because he had finished mourning, or some other reason.

" One way is for him to face his fear and overcome it." Touya suddenly broke into my thoughts. " Did he mention anything he's afraid of? I'm hoping it doesn't have to do with the immortals."  
" Iie." My yami answered. " He was not afraid of them at all. He said something about not fearing anything except...the past?"  
" The past!" Touya stood up. " Good. Then I can help you. If it's the past he fears, then the past he'll overcome and the past will be his weapon. Wait here." He rushed up the stairs. We waited, a little uncertain. 

Touya came down again, carrying with him something wrapped in a pink cloth. He gave it to me.

" You must not open it." He instructed. " It belonged to Sakura some time ago." Here his voice began to crack. " It belonged to her and we never found out until she died. But I'm giving this to you because it might be the only thing that can save Syaoran. And I'm sure the kaijuu would want him to have it."  
" Kaijuu?" I asked.

Touya smiled bitterly. " It's a nickname I called her." He sighed.

" So, would you like to stay for dinner?"  
" Huh?" We all blinked.  
" Dinner. Otou-san!" He called. A tall man came out of the room. " We got company. They're friends of that Li kid."  
" Oh." The tall, rather handsome man descended down the stairs. " Konnichiwa. I am Kinomoto Fujitaka."  
" I'm Yugi Motou, this is...Yami, Ryou Bakura and...Akira."  
" Oh." Fujitaka bowed. " Do stay. I would like to hear of what happened to that youngster."

  
  
So we stayed for dinner. Touya kept us company while his father cooked dinner. And a mighty good cook he was! We told them of how we first heard of Syaoran and how he had been faring. They looked at each other sympathetically.

" Now, to explain why Ryou-san met Syaoran in a _coma_ out of all places," Touya answered our question, " We found Syaoran in the park along with the others. We thought he was dead, but the EMS told us that he was still alive. That time I was crying for Sakura but when I heard the gaki was still alive it cheered me up a bit and brought both of us some hope."

" He lingered in Tomoeda Hospital in a coma for quite a while, three months or weeks, I cannot say. We didn't know whether he will wake up or not...so we executed the funerals. Several days later Syaoran woke up. Neither of us were there. When we went to the hospital to ask how he was faring the nurses reported that Syaoran was gone. I thought that he probably went to his apartment, too scared to linger in the hospital, because I was dismissing the idea that he was kidnapped. I probably should have thought of that, but when I went to his apartment, I realized it was unlocked, and some cards were taken. Oh, which reminds me," Touya went upstairs again. We looked at Fujitaka in question. Fujitaka just smiled. A few minutes later Touya appeared again.

" This belonged to Syaoran. He forgot to take it with him. It's called a lasin board, and only he could use it. I think it would be of use to him." Touya handed it over.

It was a board, most definetely, almost like a game piece, with about eight or so corners shaped like a star. There was chinese characters for earth, fire, wind and water. It was mostly black and white, and if we hadn't known better we would have thought it was just a piece of colored metal.

" Arigatou...but I'm not sure how Syaoran would take it. It's already hard enough I guess...to take Sakura's book," Yugi began,  
" Iie, iie, I insist." Touya smiled. " Better to hold on to something that you still have, then to despair over something you don't. And you do want to help Syaoran, don't you?" Touya looked kind and friendly, a lot different from Syaoran's description of him. " Perhaps sometime I would visit him when he's ready. I doubt he is now."  
" He isn't." I said bluntly.  
" I thought so." Touya nodded. " Anyway. Give them to him. He'll need it."

  
  
After many goodbyes we parted. We went through the dark streets of Tomoeda. It was late. We caught a bus home. It was so quiet, so late, and yet we felt no fear for ourselves. It wasn't because our yamis were there. It was because Tomoeda was such a peaceful town. Like a small paradise in a corrupted world. How could Syaoran leave this place? But we both knew, deep in our hearts, that even this paradise has been tainted. Amidst the peaceful night, a shadow sleeps. This town is what Syaoran dreaded. His greatest and only fear dwells in Tomoeda, the keeper of his bloodiest memories... 


	12. Chapter 11Seto Kaiba

Syaoran

Chapter 11-Seto Kaiba

I've settled all hard feelings towards Jou. But sometimes it seemed that he was so stupid there can be no one more foolish than he. And then there were times when he is just...I don't know what to think of him anymore.

We decided to let Ryou and Yugi go visit the Kinomotos because Honda and Jou are just _too_ immature. Anzu wanted to go but was afraid that she might say something wrong, after all Touya and Syaoran did part with hard feelings. I would have gone but Mokuba would have wanted to come too, so that wasn't the best idea. If Mokuba came, first, he would be bored to death, and next, Syaoran would become suspicious.

So Yugi and Ryou were the only ones who are capable of going. Plus if Touya decides to hurt them, they have their Yamis to protect them.

The minute Ryou and Yugi entered this town Syaoran got nervous. He wouldn't leave me alone, just stood there staring at me, and his eyes were powerful already without staring, so I was distracted. I couldn't work, so I had to try to comfort him the best I could.

In the end, it was Mokuba who saved me. Mokuba asked Syaoran if he could stay with him for a while, and that was that. I went back to work.

The truth was, I felt something too. It was strange, I was not familiar with it, so I thought it was just my imagination. But there was something that Yugi and Ryou took with them into their town, and when I talked to Touya later about it he told me I _sensed _it.

That was a story for later. Yugi and Ryou came the following day. We gathered at the living room of my mansion, and they each held an object covered with cloth.

Syaoran knew what Yugi was holding and wasn't as tense about it. It was the lasin board Ryou had described, and that he didn't make such a big fuss about. But when Ryou tried to give him the package wrapped in pink cloth Syaoran wouldn't touch it. Instead, he tried to hide from it, ducking behind me and clinging onto my shirt. 

" What's all that fuss about?" Anzu had asked.  
" I have no clue." Jou swallowed. " Hey, Syao, why you keep hiding? It ain't like it's gonna bite ya'll or anything!"  
" Hush, Jou." Anzu scolded. Ryou just looked at me sadly.  
" What is it?" I asked.  
" Syaoran," Ryou ignored me. " Touya said that he wants you to have it, and no doubt Sakura would. Don't be afraid of it."  
" Get it away from me. I can't..." Syaoran buried his head into my back. I sighed.  
" Alright then, I'll open it for him." I offered. I held on to Syaoran, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He looked at me cautiously, then watched as I untied the cloth with my right hand.  
" It's going to be alright." I assured him. And then I let the cloth fall, revealing what it was.

It was just a book, pink with golden framings. The name, SAKURA, was spelled out in precise lettering of gold. But there was too much space on the cover. I was guessing it must have been missing because of the guardians. The lock was also there.

When I looked at Syaoran, I saw that he had gone through a dramatic change. From the small, pitiful zombie there now stood a human being. Before his eyes were dry and empty, filled with a light that did not come from himself. But this time when I looked at him, facing his past, the very thing that he fears the most, I saw that he was broken, tears glistening on his cheeks. He didn't sob, he didn't sniffle, just wept quietly, his eyes never leaving the remains of the past that lied before him. Wave after wave of trembling broke down through his shoulders. He did not look at us for reassurance; if he did perhaps he would not have been so tense. 

As we watched the young child dropped his lasin board and it fell with a series of clattering. Trembling hands reached out towards the book that Ryou held out before him. As soon as his fingers touched it, a deep aura engulfed the covers, so that when our eyes were use to the dazzling change it was no longer pink, but a dark, rich green, a green of summer leaves or the forest moss. And instead of the words, Sakura, there were, as precisely and clearly as before, the big characters, XIAO LANG.

  
  
We were all quiet, even Jou, who hardly ever was. We were as quiet as we could be, a silence that threatens any noise. It was like a dead spirit was reading her will, telling that Syaoran will be the next Master of the Cards. Syaoran took the book gingerly, then hugged it tightly, as if it would all go away should he let it go. The boy rocked back and forth, as if blindly trying to soothe himself, or keeping his heart from bursting into many pieces...

  
  
Syaoran didn't practice magic much these days, so he was a little off. When he first tried to use his lasin board-it kinda pointed to the three closest objects possible, the first two being, of course, the millenium ring and puzzle, the third being me, much to my distress. The second time Syaoran attempted it went into the air straight into Industrial Illusions, very much to our confusion because all of us thought Pegasus no longer had the millenium eye.

The third time Syaoran tried it pointed to the Xiao Lang book now laying at the foot of his bed. He could have given up then. And actually, he did, for quite some time.

We didn't really understand why Pegasus still hosts the Duel Monsters tournaments, because we had thought he, like me, had lost some of his confidence. Then Syaoran explained that Pegasus still has the powers of the millenium eye.

" Pegasus was cursed." Syaoran explained. " By having the eye, he was blinded because he knows too much. He knows so much that he can't see. That was his punishment. To keep his sanity from returning, he must still be blindfolded by that same power. When Ryou took his eye, the item lent over its power into Pegasus, which is also why now the eye is useless. Pegasus now has magical powers."

Needless to say, we didn't like that.

  
  
The first time Syaoran actually _met_ him was at the Duel Monsters tournament some time after we received the book. I had just won the tournament and there was a reception. There were not many people like Yugi, so it was not very bad. I didn't like it when Pegasus appeared.

In truth, it was more of Syaoran bumped into him. Pegasus has a liking for drink, and Mokuba was daring Syaoran to taste the champagne. All the while, the two were arguing about one of the cards.

" The Celtic Guardian is an _elf_."  
" He's not an elf!" Mokuba protested. " He just has elf ears."  
" If pointy ears don't make people an elf, what does?" Syaoran asked.  
" But his ears are _flat_."  
" His ears are pointy! He is an _elf_."  
" Elves are short!"  
" The Mystical Elf is _not!_"  
" But how can elves be guardians?"  
" Why can't they be? If they can be monsters, why not guardians?" Syaoran poured a bit of champagne. " You dared me, so you go first." Mokuba grimaced.  
" Iie, you go first."  
" You go!" Syaoran laughed. " And then we can ask your brother-Seto, is the Celtic Guardian an elf?"

I was too amused to answer. Then _he_ came.

" I don't suppose that's important, young Li." The bastard was behind Syaoran. The poor child was so startled he nearly spilled the wine. At first he was surprised, and then he covered it up by teasing Mokuba.  
" The Celtic Guardian was anElf!"  
" Why, hello, Kaibaboy." Pegasus smirked. I hissed. " I see you acquired a new member of the family."  
" What do you want," I growled.

" Silver Fang was named after White Fang."  
" No she's not!"  
" Yuck! I never liked alcohol." Syaoran grimaced, then peered at Pegasus. " Oh...konbonwa!"

This made me choke a laugh. Syaoran just blinked innocently at a mildly surprised Pegasus.

" Nice vodka," Syaoran sniffed at the wine. Pegasus, who apparently was in good humor, bent down to let Syaoran have a sip. Everyone was watching without trying to appear to be. Syaoran blinked.  
" Urgh, it's burning my throat!"  
" Are you okay?" Mokuba asked. When he noticed Pegasus, also for the first time, he paled and looked like he was about to scream.  
" Hai." Syaoran blinked. " But it tastes better than chinese wine. Chinese wine is made of rice."  
" Rice?" Mokuba wrinkled his little nose, immediately forgetting Pegasus by some magic of Syaoran's. " Ew."

As the two were having their own little ' discussion', Pegasus was watching and listening to them.  
" He doesn't seem afraid." He observed. " And the little one isn't either."  
" He's not afraid of anything." I said, none too nicely.  
Pegasus nodded as if understanding. " Very young to go through such obstacles."  
" Why do you care?"  
" Oh. I had a little chat with one of his old friends from England."  
" Another one?"  
" Hai. It appears that she was not on common terms with little Li either. But she does care for him. You should probably remind him of a woman named Mizuki Kaho."

At this the ' discussion' stopped abruptly and Syaoran stared at Pegasus in mute shock. I decided to keep my old feelings towards Pegasus repressed until we could get all the help we could out of him.

" Mizuki Kaho."  
" A nice lady, very nice." Pegasus answered in a genuine Pegasus manner. " A pity, really. She really does miss him. Of course, I know that we now are such good friends, so I won't bother telling you why the twelve immortals are after Syaoran in the first place, why the Sakura Book became the Syaoran book, and who the immortals are anyway-it would just ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?"  
" What are you pulling this time, Pegasus?" I hissed. I felt as if I would kill him right there and then. " What do you know?"  
" He knows quite a lot."

We both stared at Syaoran, who was eyeing Pegasus as if he was getting hypnotized. I knew better though. " He knows quite a lot." He repeated. " Had I been any other person I would have asked the same question. But I guess I'm not in the position." He looked down. " I just wish it would be over soon." He turned away.

Mokuba didn't follow him, instead he backed up behind me, away from the bastard. But Pegasus did not seem amused nor happy. Instead, there was a sympathetic look I have never seen before, a look of pure understanding, as if Pegasus did indeed, know something about Syaoran that we don't.

Syaoran was not afraid of Pegasus at all. In fact, when I was not with him, I usually found Syaoran actually sitting next to Pegasus. And the bastard didn't seem to mind him. I could sense a feeling of caution whenever Pegasus was around Syaoran, although I could not imagine why.

This acquaintance was not a good thing for me. It's a little like Romeo and Juliet, now that I remember, because it sort of forced the same outcome. Syaoran wanted to visit Pegasus again to talk about Kaho, and what can I say? I couldn't exactly refuse him. I could tell he was a little relieved that someone he knew from the past was alive and actually was not angry with him. I could not find out why anyone should be, but the mind of the youngster is strange.

Truth to be told, I was glad when the reception was finally over. Two hours being stuck with my eternal enemy was nearly more than I can stand. _Nearly,_ because Pegasus was decent enough to at least not talk about Mokuba, or the duels. Actually, to put it in a practical way, he was decent enough not to talk at all. Of course, he does speak, not to me anyway, but for some reason he's always next to me. Which gives me the creeps, and him the creeps, no doubt, because I could tell he wasn't exactly trying to stay near me in any way. In fact, I think it's simply fate trying to toy with us. 

Staying near that bastard was enough to make me lose my appetite. The only thing, perhaps, that actually saved me from throwing up what I already ate, was that Syaoran was actually there some of the times. Mokuba decided, very intelligently, to avoid both me and Syaoran by sticking with Yugi, who didn't really participate in the tournament, and Ryou, for once eating something other than noodles. So I wasn't really afraid for Mokuba. My grudge was all because of that Li child, who had become my second brother-and if I'm the superego and Mokuba's the id, then Syaoran's the ego ( Take Psychology 101 if you don't know what I mean), but the only problem is, the ego of the Kaibas is actually befriend their very enemy!

I did not doubt that Syaoran was perfectly capable of defending himself from Pegasus, after noting the slight sense of fear every time that snow headed bastard was near him. I had a perfect confidence in Syaoran's mysterious powers, whatever they may be, and as Yami had pointed out, he _is_ the weilder of the elemental forces, weak or not. That much Pegasus was aware, anyway. So no, I was not unhappy because Pegasus might hurt Syaoran. Syaoran was stronger than Mokuba.

It's just that I always thought Syaoran was loyal!

It was not that Syaoran did anything to betray me. I just thought he was on _my_ side, and only mine, like Mokuba. But I guess Syaoran has a mind of his own, good for most things, bad for this one. I _hated_ Pegasus. Syaoran was befriending him!

Of course, after some time all these things seemed amusing, I'm sure. Very immature, very childish, blah blah blah, but I'm fifteen, a teenager, who has just been trapped inside a card and had gone through all those other weird stuff, there is no reason why I should be nice to Pegasus-

Except for the little gaki, of course.

So those two hours became a drag week of emptiness, until Syaoran decided that he wanted to visit Duelist Kingdom. I had a feeling that Pegasus somehow talked him into this, because I've never seen the kid beg before. Something Pegasus told him convinced the boy to see him again.

And the kid couldn't exactly _fly_ there-the truth was he could, but he wouldn't touch the book of cards even if his life depended on it-so far anyway. That book remained under his bed, trying to be lost and forgotten, collecting dust to hide itself.

So I had to take him to the island. I was not happy. It was almost like I'm commiting social suicide, but I had not choice. He was only eleven years old, what could I do? And it wasn't like Ryou could face Pegasus either-not that he was able to, anyway. So I had to take Syaoran to the island.

The guards welcomed us without much fuss, really. I was tense, but Syaoran knew that and gave me a reassuring squeeze now and then. That made me feel stupid, because an _eleven year old_ was the one that was comforting me, and not the other way around. That day, Mokuba, sensing that I was going to Pegasus out of all people, was over at Jou's, so at least he wasn't there to watch.

Pegasus was sitting at his famous dining table with a very beautiful woman. She had kind eyes, brown hair, thin frame and a calm expression. She stood up as soon as Syaoran, in his fancy robes, ( He didn't manage to buy much when he went shopping because the clothes don't fit him), dragged me into the room. Pegasus followed suit.  
" Syaoran!" She smiled, spreading her arms out, " I'm so glad you're alright!"

And...that's when I first met Mizuki Kaho. 


	13. Chapter 12Pegasus

Syaoran

Chapter 12-Pegasus

I met Mizuki Kaho about eight years ago when I was seventeen. She was with the woman I fell in love with, of her name I shall not mention here. After some meetings she left and I have not heard of her until the day when Syaoran woke from his coma. 

Kaho was really worried about him and had asked me to find him. She did not know where Syaoran was. And since she had not authority over him she couldn't report him missing.

The Duel Monsters tournament came in handy. Who could have imagined Seto Kaiba would be the one guarding the child! That boy could hardly take care of himself, let alone two others. I was both amused and a little unhappy. The amusement, because the child turned out to be very cute and adorable, unhappy because I had to meet my former enemy. And since Kaibaboy is the one who's managing the child, along with Bakura, I had to make a pact with one of them. And since Syaoran was staying more and more with Kaiba, well, did I have much of a choice?

He was right about that night-we couldn't stop bumping into each other. It was partly my fault; I wanted to somehow convince Kaibaboy in some way to let Syaoran visit Kaho, who by that time was already at my castle. The only problem was he doesn't want to listen to anything I say, and so I had to keep silent. The boy was friendly, though. I couldn't imagine why he would be so interested in wine, he said something about kung fu training, but didn't go through much about it. He probably drank a cup of wine that day, but he never was drunk, it was strange. Some kind of magic perhaps.

He told me about Kaiba, mainly, how somehow he was similar to this person named Touya, who he told me was Sakura's brother. Something about both sharing the same glaring techique, which I will not elaborate. Then he scolded my interest in comic books, very interesting of him. 

" First you have heads too big for their bodies,"  
" They're cartoons, Li-san."  
" And then you have eyes too big for their heads,"  
" They're cartoons, Li."  
" Why is a sophisticated man like you reading comic books?"  
" Why not?"  
" Because it will seriously reduce your brain into a size of a mushroom."  
" There are some big mushrooms in the world, Li."  
" And besides, all your devious tricks come from the books. Childish pranks."  
" Oh?"  
" I mean, if you want to be evil, then read Othello! Shakespeare has a very evil character named Iago. You learned English, no?"  
" Hai?"  
" Well then," Syaoran suddenly stared at his hand, the play in his hand that had popped out of nowhere, then started to shake his arm, trying to give it to me and at the same time wondering where it came from. " Here!"  
" Why, arigatou, Li-san." I smiled, very amused. He was just discovering his powers. I relaxed.   
" You can call me Syaoran if you want."  
" Alright, Syaoran-san." I looked at the book. On it was the words, OTHELLO, and it looked brand new.  
" Heheh, Gomen." Syaoran gave me a sour look when I laughed. " Arigatou again. By the way, I find your clothing remarkably interesting."

He looked even more unhappy. " My oka-san made it." He said quietly.

And then it was _my _turn to feel sour.

  
  
When the child entered the room I was very glad to see him. Partly because his cheeks were a bit fuller then before. His eyes, for once, sparkled a little. Kaho went over and hugged him. Kaibaboy poured his attention on those two and I followed his example.

It was lunchtime by then. I invited them to join me. Syaoran accepted more enthusiastically than Kaibaboy. I almost feel sorry for him, being dragged around by an eleven year old. But he got himself into that, anyway.

Kaho asked about what happened to the others, and Syaoran told about it in the emotionless way he had always told stories. The twelve immortals had warned them not to approach and hand Syaoran over. Sakura had stepped forward and blocked Syaoran's path. Syaoran had told her to get out of his way and Yue prevented him from running towards the immortals. Eriol stood next to Sakura, also protecting Syaoran. The immortals, knowing this was their answer, first struck at Sakura. She had no time to defend herself and collapsed. Syaoran had screamed, rushing to her, catching her, and she stared into his eyes all the way until she finally died.

Syaoran was seized by Yue and found himself in the air, with Yue holding him, as something struck the ground where they once were. The battle lasted for some time, Syaoran didn't bother to mention the details. There was one attack that missed Eriol's head but hit Tomoyo, and her camera exploded like a bomb. Eriol rushed to her, but was hit with another arrow, and fell down. Syaoran saw Kero fall as well as Nakuru, and Spinel killed one of the immortals with an attack. Yue shot two arrows, killing another two, before he was destroyed himself. Spinel attacked another one, but then he fell as well. Syaoran fell from the sky and broke his leg, splitting his head open, and then everything blacked out.

So quite frankly of the twelve immortals, only eight of them are left. Sakura was the first one to die. Spinel was the last. And through all those bloody images, even Kaibaboy was gagging, but neither Kaho and Syaoran seemed to be affected.

" You poor thing." Kaho said sympathetically. " I'm glad you survived Syaoran. At first I thought you were going to die too. Do you have any idea what saved you though?"  
" Hm?"  
" I mean, the immortals could have taken you when you blacked out."  
" True. I really don't know. There was a figure with a staff that appeared out of nowhere, that I remember. But nothing else." Syaoran sighed.   
" Have you new friends been treating you well?" Kaho asked, looking at Kaiba.  
" They've been very kind." Syaoran said slowly, after some hesitation. " Very kind."  
" Good. I'm glad." Kaho smiled at Kaiba, who looked at Syaoran. Syaoran stopped eating.

There was an uncomfortable silence. Then Kaiba shifted.  
" Do you know who the immortals are and why they're after him?" He asked Kaho softly.  
" Why, hai, I think." Kaho sighed. " The immortals are twelve spirits of each year. The rat, the ox, the tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, that sort. I'm not sure which ones are left right now."  
" Why are they after him though?" Kaiba asked.  
" I'm guessing because Syaoran has a lot more powers than he seemed to have." Kaho looked at me. " As Othello had demonstrated."

I chuckled. Kaho smiled. Syaoran blushed as Kaiba looked at him strangely.  
" Yami had recently found a memory regarding to Syaoran's preincarnation." Kaiba continued. " Do you think that is important?"  
" Nani? His preincarnation? How interesting." Kaho turned around to face Kaiba. I was interested too, so I listened closely.  
" His name was Tarkot. Yami believes that Syaoran was living a parallel life with him."  
" Really?" I searched Syaoran's memory and realized that he did not know any of this.

And so Kaibaboy described what Yami had told and the comparisons. Kaho looked troubled after he finished.

" If this game is what caused Tarkot's death it might cause Syaoran's." She turned to me. " However, I think there's something else. If they are indeed living in a parallel life, then the twelve immortals must have a parallel existence in Egypt as well."

  
  
Syaoran did not seem afraid at all. He simply shrugged, as if it was nothing.  
" I'm hoping they got rid of the Dragon." Kaho continued softly. " The Dragon is the most dangerous one."  
" Of course he is. Or she," Syaoran poked at his food. " But if it turned out the four weakest ones, well, at least we got rid of them."

I saw that Kaho looked at Syaoran strangely when he said that, as if he was not behaving like himself.  
" They will not be easy to defeat." Kaho continued. " Did Touya give you Sakura's book?"

Syaoran didn't answer. Kaho looked at Kaiba, who nodded.  
" Did he ever use it?" This time, the question was directed at the older boy.  
" Iie. He never touched it except once, when Ryou gave it to him."  
" Syaoran," Kaho turned back to the little one, " You need the cards if you want to destroy them. They're the dark twelve, they're not the right ones. They're the ones who failed. Syaoran, are you listening to me?"

Syaoran wouldn't answer. He didn't eat either. Only went on poking his food.

Kaho sighed. She leaned forward. " Syaoran, you cannot always dwell in the past. You must move on."  
" How?" Syaoran asked her, without emotion, as if he was just plainly curious. " How can I do that? If the past _always _follows me around!" He said it with such sarcasm I did not think he meant it. " Everywhere I go! First I need the lasin board, which Touya has, and also Ryou and Yugi went over _especially_ for me to get his help when I don't need it. And then he _insisted_ I have the book, as if telling me to always remember what happened in the end, relive nightmares every night. Joy! And isn't it enough to know that it's _there?_ Now you come and tell me that I need to _use _what isn't mine?"

He had stood up, and then there was a tense moment between Kaho and Syaoran. Kaiba and I watched them awkwardly.

Kaho broke away first. " I did not come here to argue with you Syaoran." She said quietly. " I guess some things never change."  
" Some things don't." Syaoran agreed. He sat down slowly. " Not with nightmares, visions, and the past following you around." He went back to poking his food.  
" Gomen, Mizuki-san." He said after a pause. " I did not mean to snap. I just didn't want to touch it. It felt so wrong. It was Sakura-chan's, and had always been hers. She had earned it. And nightmares." He held his head, leaving his food the way it was.

Kaho looked at Kaiba. Kaiba shook his head, saying he knew nothing of it. The woman rose from her seat, walking over to Syaoran and circled her arms around his shoulders.  
" What nightmares?" She asked gently.  
" Everything." Syaoran sniffed. " The past, the present, they won't leave me alone. They came here," He began to sob. " They just seized me, yelling, ' it's all your fault!' And it is!" He choked. Kaho began to rub his back soothingly, but it didn't help much. " It was all my fault! If only I had agreed to go with them, then maybe maybe they would still be alive today, but I just hung back behind them like a coward and didn't even help-"  
" You were held back Syaoran." Kaho interrupted. Syaoran gasped, startled, staring at her. Kaho closed her eyes, tears also forming. " It wasn't your fault at all. Eriol and Sakura blocked you. Nakuru and Yue held you back. You wouldn't have done anything even if you went forward. You weren't as strong as you are now."  
" Then how come they wouldn't leave me alone?" Syaoran wiped furiously at his eyes. I searched his memory briefly and found out that ' they' meant those who had died. He quickly blocked it, to my astonishment, but I decided it was either his magic or perhaps because I was probing too gently.  
" It wasn't the souls themselves." I told Kaho softly. " Some kind of spell was cast."  
" I thought so." Kaho nodded, trusting my dark magic. " Don't worry Syaoran, no one is angry at you. You don't have to be afraid."

Kaiba shifted uneasily. I decided to leave those two alone, considering that Syaoran and I barely ' know' each other. I decided to play with Kaibaboy, toy a little with his mind. It was actually a trick I copied from Iago, but since Iago is more of a romance person I didn't try that. ( Truth to be told, Syaoran was right. Othello was much more mischeivous then all the comic books I've read.)  
" Well, Kaibaboy, I trust you've been taking care of yourself very well." The truth was, he looked much thinner than I remembered.  
" What do you want now, Pegasus?" He hissed.

I took a sip of wine. " Why, nothing much, really. I find your new companion very interesting." What fun to watch Seto struggle in reining Syaoran when he didn't have to! " Perhaps someday I'll take him to my own household."

Kaho struck a glare at me, but even she didn't dare to say anything. Syaoran was oblivious to it all, still sobbing into her, telling her whatever he was telling, which I shall tell later. Kaiba tensed.  
" I think he has been living fine with us." He growled.  
" Really?" I blinked, as if confused. I really should go into acting! " In a city such as yours? I find that hard to believe. You know, I suppose little Yugi and little Bakura has told you about how Tomoeda _really_ is like. He made quite a few friends there."  
" He made some here as well."  
" Really? Doubtless he did, but is he really happy here?" I smiled. " But no matter. I'm sure you'll be able to protect him from all those immortals. You're _so_ strong willed, Kaibaboy."

I could tell my little prank was working. It would be quite entertaining. Syaoran had quieted down and Kaho was glaring at me. I smirked. She sighed.

" Perhaps," Kaiba answered, very calm now, and collected, " You also need to stop dwelling in the past."

And he said it as if he knew everything. 


	14. Chapter 13Yami

Syaoran

Chapter 13-Yami

I didn't know of Syaoran's visit to Pegasus until several months later. But what I do know is, when Seto and Syaoran came back, the poor boys started acting really weird. Syaoran seems suddenly very interested in the Xiao Lang book, and Seto suddenly became very interested in Syaoran. As for Mokuba, he seemed to be left out of the picture for the moment, although he wasn't really jealous.

One time Ryou offered to take Syaoran off his hands for a brief while. Seto wouldn't let him. Ryou came to me, more surprised than hurt.  
" What's gotten into him?" He asked. " He seems very-overprotective. What do you think happened?" 

Ryou, of course, knew nothing about Seto and Pegasus's other acquaintance, so he did not know about how Pegasus had played with him.

Now we all knew Pegasus as a sick minded psycho, but we didn't know that Syaoran would actually like him. Nor could we accept the idea that one of Syaoran's known friends is actually Pegasus' friend, so it took a lot of getting use to, I suppose. It was hard for Seto, because he probably made an even bigger enemy of Pegasus than the rest of us. What can we do though?

" Maybe he knows something we didn't." I answered Ryou. Or rather, Yugi did. " After all, he did disappear for a few days, and we couldn't contact him."  
" Not with Mokuba, that's strange." Ryou observed. " Seto always hangs around Mokuba in his spare time. As brief and rare as they are."  
" I know." Yugi nodded. " But now he concentrated more on Syaoran. I wonder what happened that weekend."

Syaoran came into the game shop one morning without Seto for some reason. He was holding the magic book in his arms and simply sat down at one of the counters.  
" Hey Syao." Jou called. " Watcha doin so early in here? Where's Seto?"  
" Off with Mokuba, for once." Syaoran didn't seem too happy. " I told him I was coming here."  
" What's wrong with that guy anyway?" Anzu asked. " He seems totally out of it the last few days."  
" Of course he is. Thanks to our famous nightmare of our lives." Syaoran sniffed grumpily. " Apparently when I was talking with Kaho-san, Pegasus said something to Seto-chan."  
" Oh, like what?" Yugi was curious.  
" How am I supposed to know?" Syaoran snapped. It was the first time he was cranky, so we let it go for that day. " I'm not a psychic."  
" Sure." Jou flipped through the cards. " Hey Syao, check out this new card. It's called Wizard's Dream. Funny, eh?"

We didn't really expect Syaoran to be interested in it. And he wasn't, but he did look at it.  
" He looks too much like Gandalf." Syaoran muttered. Yugi told me it was from The Lord of the Rings.  
" Hey, Gandalf's a wizard too, ye know?" Jou cocked his head. " It's cool, ne? Of course, it doesn't work on beasts, but on things like the Mystic Elf and the Celtic Guardan." He pronounced it strangely.

Syaoran glared at him. Not a fierce one, just one of annoyance. " I wish you could talk properly for once." He muttered. Jou blinked, a little hurt.  
" Syaoran, did something happen?" Anzu asked. " You're not acting like yourself."  
" Something did." Syaoran jumped off the counter and placed his book on the top. " Seto and I had a brief argument."  
" Oh..." Anzu didn't know what to make of it.  
" I guess I made him angry." Syaoran didn't elaborate. " It's something with Mokuba.. I didn't know why he got so mad. I only said that I thought Mokuba needed a little independence to grow stronger. And then he just snapped."  
" That doesn't sound like Seto Kaiba to me." Jou was confused.  
" You bet it didn't." Syaoran looked at Jou. " There you go. For once. Now to drop that accent of yours."

Jou looked at him weirdly.  
" I'm guessing Pegasus threatened him. I don't know." Syaoran held his head in his hands. " Something about me. I know that Seto cares about me. I guess he thought I didn't care about him." He slid back onto the counter. Yugi's grandfather listened without speaking.  
" I just said to him that when I came here," Syaoran sighed. " I mean, before I came here I thought that everyone was living in some kind of utopia except me. That I was the only one who was lonely and all. And then when I went to Tomoeda, I thought I just joined the other people's Utopia. I mean, in Tomoeda, everything's just, well, almost perfect. Very little crime, no bullies in school, clean air and a good environment." 

We listened without interrupting. I had an idea of where he was going.

" And then when I came here," Syaoran sighed. " I realized that there are places that are not perfect. Like that one time when I nearly got beaten up if it hadn't been for my training in martial arts, and Seto had come by. I never seen so many bullies in one area." He smiled bitterly. " And gang members. People walking around with guns. It made me wonder how can morality and goodwill exist in such a corrupted world.

I have to hand this one to you guys." He smiled again, also bitter. " I've never seen such close friends. Even in Tomoeda we didn't stick together often. I mean, family members, yes. But...we just didn't need each other that much. We didn't really realize that...we'll get separated." Syaoran held his head.

" I just wish that I had stuck with them more."

  
  
We didn't speak. I had no idea what Syaoran was getting to now, but I understood his feelings.   
" I guess when you guys leave each other it wouldn't be with regret, eh?" Syaoran smiled. " This game actually brought you all together somehow. Funny, because it's becoming more than just a game."  
" What are you...talking about?" I asked. " Of course it's not just a game."  
" Iie, you don't understand." Syaoran looked at me. " I realized something about these cards. There was a reason why the immortals didn't just take me that night, Yami-san.

One of the cards. One of the cards saved me from them."

  
  
You can imagine our surprise. I knew that monsters are capable of living in the real world, but I thought that nowadays they no longer have the power. And especially since Syaoran made it clear that he never knew anything about the monsters. So he definetely didn't summon any of them.

Then Syaoran related a story even I never heard of.

" There's a reason why the Shadow Games are created in the first place." He continued. " Long ago, Egypt was under a threat of war. The first pharoah wished to settle it peacefully, so he prayed to the gods Anubis and Ra to somehow present another way. Whoever heard it answered. The following morning the pharoah woke up and wrote down the rules of the game, which he named, Shadow Games. Then he ordered some sorcerors to create five items, one of which was the Millenium Eye, the others I don't know their names. These five are the basis of the game. As long as they exist in the world, the game could be played. The only problem was," Syaoran smiled yet again. " The game got out of hand."

I thought briefly that Tarkot was the one who first realized that. 

" Just like it is now." Syaoran pointed out, and I felt a shudder go through me. Because Syaoran knew nothing of his past life. Seto never told him.  
" I mean, it was never created to be a game." Syaoran hugged the book. " It was created to settle disputes peacefully. The problem wasn't with the monsters themselves but with the summoners. They were corrupted. And history tends to repeat itself."

Everyone looked at him, then at me and Yugi. _History tends to repeat itself. _That was exactly what was happening now. Syaoran went on, oblivious.  
" Look at what's happening. Business owners are using the game to cause bankruptcy among others. To create monopolies and trusts. People are using the game to gamble and decide the other's fate." Syaoran hugged the book even tighter.

" I don't like this game."

  
  
_Of course you don't._ I thought to myself, bitterly. _You never did. I didn't listen to you before. But I won't make that mistake again. You will not leave us._

Yet still I wondered. Is Tarkot and Syaoran following the same path? Or is there some kind of fork in the road? Then I gasped suddenly. The others looked at me hopefully.

Before, Tarkot and Syaoran had followed the same fate with the same outcomes but different approaches. Perhaps if Syaoran and Tarkot follow the same approach, then the outcome would be different...

  
  
That was also the day when Syaoran first dared open the book. He took his time doing it. A long time. After hesitating, he gingerly flicked open the seal. It opened easily. There was a bright glow, and the cards were in there. But they were pink.

Out came a green staff, greenish blue actually, or perhaps bluish green. It was hard to tell. The staff was long, with a wide frame on the top. It was beautifully decorated with carvings on the silver metal. In the center and around the top there was one huge white pearl, and small pearls outlined the staff's head. On each said hung red laces. It was, as Syaoran had commented, a lot less simple than Sakura's.

After examining the staff, a little shakened and surprised, Syaoran turned his attention to the book.

I actually, personally, found the Sakura Cards, or Xiao Lang cards if you like, much more interesting then the Duel Monster cards, first because most of the figures were feminine, second, because I've seen the same cards so much that this deck was a new experience for me. They were much longer and bigger than the game cards, with a more mystical then technological feeling about them. Syaoran took a single card and read it silently. He flipped it so we can see.

It was...Windy, I believe. The one with large wings and looked like some kind of disheveled angel.

Now, I was not very happy with Syaoran nicknaming the game cards, although Blue Fish-headed Dragon did seem very funny. So I made a show, along with Yugi and Jou, to annoy Syaoran a bit as well as lighten the mood. I told him about the disheveled angel comment and he smiled.  
" Of course. It's Wind. What can you expect?" He snapped the book closed suddenly.   
" Oh. Shouldn't have said that." But nothing happened.

Cautiously Syaoran opened the book. Nothing happened.

The child laughed nervously. " Gomen. Last time, when Sakura said the name out loud, the card blew all the other cards away. I don't want them flying all over the place. This town is already unruly as it is."

Which was true, to some extent.

We couldn't come up with bad enough names for the rest of the cards. I called one Burning Mephistopheles, which was the Fire card, I think. Jou called one the pink bunny, which I think was the Jump card. Yugi called one the midget-which was the Little Card, quite appropriate. Then there was the cotton candy cabbage doll, although I think the Cloud Card looked much cuter than any dolls I've ever seen. Mermaid, which came from Yugi, which wasn't all that bad since Watery was, more or less, a mermaid. Wood witch, although Woody was, well, wood, and she was, more or less, a witch. Twin Fools, meaning the Twin card, and Jou didn't mean they were stupid, it's just that a King's Fool was kind of dressed like them. There's one named Gandalf-I think it was the Time Card, I'm not sure. The Power Card had us all laughing because she looked like a chibi. We couldn't make fun of the object cards, like the Shield or the lock or the sword, because there wasn't really any name to call them. I don't remember what we called the sweet. Gypsie, was the Sand card. Don't know where Jou got that idea from. We didn't know what to call the Dash Card, it sort of looked like...everything. Chameleon, was the Change card, and Syaoran related a story about Kero and him switching bodies, with Kero messing up on kung fu and Syaoran nearly eaten by a cat. That was funny. I don't know what we called the Glow or Sweet card really. I don't even remember what it looks like. Honda made a joke saying that Anzu looked like the Fight Card, so that card earned the nickname Anzu, slash Fighting woman. The Return Syaoran himself volunteered a nickname: Tree cutter, and when he was asked why Syaoran willingly told us of how Sakura got sucked into some kind of million year old tree, and Syaoran had to use the Time card to bring her back. There was the Erase card, who looked like a cross between a joker and a clown, and some kind of ballet dancer, so we didn't know what to call it. We couldn't give it the name of Sagi the Clown, partly because, as Syaoran pointed out, his face wasn't slanted. 

Of course, we had a lot of fun, although we didn't really achieve our real goal-making Syaoran annoyed. So at first there was a little laughter, with Yugi's Grandpa participating. We compared some of them. Windy, for example, with Change of Heart, although we soon realized that none of them looked like anything from the other deck that we can name. So we gave that up.

When we came to actually using the cards, the laughter died immediately. At first Syaoran was reluctant. Then Jou beated, rather harshly ( he almost did it literally), into his head that those cards were no longer Sakura's; they're his now.

Syaoran was still reluctant. He tried to think up some excuse. No way, child. With someone like Honda and Jou, you can't back out. So Syaoran finally relented, using a less destructive card, namingly Cloud, to show us what the cards were capable of.

It didn't work.

" I don't know the spell." Syaoran explained. " They're not my cards. If they were mine they wouldn't be pink right now."

That made sense, but Jou encouraged him.  
" Ah, c'mon kid. You can do it. Just search within your heart and find the words, how hard can that be?"

Syaoran looked at him as if he was an idiot. And even if Jou wasn't really one, then he was talking like one.

" I don't know about this." Syaoran sighed. He closed his eyes, holding all of the cards, now out of the book, in his hand, while still holding the staff.

Then came a low murmur. I could barely catch it.

_" Cards of Power...  
Ancient forces, hear my call,  
Spirits, know me by my name."_

His voice slowly rose as the cards glowed brighter and brighter until our eyes were blinded by it.  
_" Powers of the moon and star,  
Sun of daylight, rays that aim.  
I now order you obey,  
Words of forces standing far,  
Heed to what I now command,  
From now on you shall obey!_

Cards of Power! I now order you to my command!"

And I remember there was a huge flash that was so painful I thought I would be blinded forever, and I think the others felt the same.__

But when our eyes finally cleared, when we could finally see again and the light has dimmed, for a brief moment it seemed that we were no longer in the game shop. We were at the Tokyo Tower, standing at the edge of a tall building. The moon shone fully, and we saw a girl, her cape flapping in the wind, petals of cherry blossoms fluttering down. Her pink staff was in hand, facing some unknown threat. She stepped off the building, fearless and confident. And from the Tokyo tower, where the moon shone, a dark figure with bright golden eyes that glowed in the night, advanced towards her in the same speed. His cape flapped also in the wind, as well as his sleeves and robes. He too, was holding a staff, but instead of pink, he was green, dressed green from top to bottom. His staff was green, with red laces dangling in the wind. And as they reached each other, each stuck out their left hand, held it for a brief moment, as if acknowledging each other. Then they continued, the girl towards the tower, the boy towards us. And just when he came to light, the girl vanished into darkness. When we finally saw his face, we were at the game shop. And Syaoran was standing in front of us, his eyes glowing bright gold, no longer was it amber or brown. He was holding the staff, but he wore no cape. We knew that the vision was real, though, because all of the sudden, the floor of the game shop was scattered with fresh, pink, fragrant smelling petals of cherry blossoms... 


	15. Chapter 14Yugi

Syaoran

Chapter 14-Yugi

We never asked why Syaoran had brought the book in the first place. Nor did we ask why he agreed to transform the cards. Somehow we felt that we still don't know his past very well, despite the hard-to-forget incidents he had shared with us. It was actually very touching, because later we found out from Pegasus that Syaoran never told his past to anyone before. Not even the Li clan knew what happened to his father.

Syaoran wouldn't show us how to use the cards. Because right after that he withdrew the staff and closed the book. When Seto came to pick him up I had to sneak the book into the older guy's hands, because Syaoran wouldn't touch it.

Seto did look worn and weary. He was awfully thin. His eyes had a look of a wild animal, cautioning anyone who looked at him in the eye. He said something about having to go to his office at five in the morning some time ago, so I guess it was lack of sleep. Seto talked with Ryou for a little while, and I overheard, before they left, that Seto was going on a trip to New York and that Ryou should take care of Mokuba and Syaoran.

The poor guy really does need a vacation.

One morning a few days after Seto left New York to come back, Yami and I were at the game shop front, where we were trying to ponder on Tarkot's fate and link it to Syaoran's. The empty space in Syaoran's past was filled. The only thing to fill now is Syaoran's future, and try to prevent most of it somehow. Yami saw a danger from the Duel Monsters cards, and then he remembered something Tarkot said about monsters not being a danger but the game itself.

" He was very strange about it." Yami told me. " He said, ' There is no such thing as the Heart of the Cards. Only the heart of the master.' And then he said, ' The Shadow World is not really Shadow. It is the Field of Reeds.'"  
" The Field of Reeds?" I blinked. " What are you talking about?"  
" He means the Dead Realm." Yami answered. " Where the Dead Osiris goes."  
" Dead Osiris." I blinked. " Gomen. This place is too concerned with Asian history to be with Egyptian."  
" That's alright. The Dead Osiris is actually the spirit of a pharoah that died."  
" Oh. So you're a living Horus but not the Osiris."

This made Yami very sad. " I'm pretty much dead. Only I didn't manage to go to the Field of Reeds."  
" But wait, if the Shadow Realm is the Field of Reeds, or the Dead Realm...then was Tarkot saying that you are wielding magic of the dead?"  
" You can say." This made Yami even more sad for some reason. " Egyptians are serious about death."  
" So Tarkot was probably saying that the monsters came from the Dead Realm. And that they will bring death to the world."  
" That's eventually what happened." Yami was uncomfortable. " To Tarkot and everyone else. We had to start over. It was the time when Egypt was still divided into two sections. When the Shadow Games nearly destroyed both kingdoms, North and South Egypt joined to become one empire."  
" North and South?" I asked.  
" Hai." Yami nodded. " From what I can remember, North was on the bottom, and South was on the top."  
" This is getting me all confused." I blinked. " Why is North on the bottom?"  
" Because the Nile flows from down up to the Mediterranean." Talking about it made Yami really sad. I don't know why, so I dropped the topic.

Before I could go on though, and I'm sure you're all confused by this because I was, the door opened.  
" May I help you?" Jii-chan asked, trying to avoid any distractions so we could work.  
" Hai, I believe so." The voice was very friendly, so we instantly relaxed. " Does Yugi-san live here?"

I looked up.

" Touya!" I called.  
" Yugi-san!" Touya laughed. " And Yami!"

Jii-chan instantly relaxed, knowing that he was a friend.  
" What are you doing all the way out here?' I asked, giving him a hug as if I knew him for years. Then I realized another person behind him, holding a...stuffed animal?  
" I came here for a visit." Touya winked. " There were some people who want to meet Syaoran."  
" Some...people?" I blinked. The boy behind Touya bowed.  
" Konnichiwa." He said politely. " I am Tsukishiro Yukito. This," He lifted the stuffed animal up, " Is Kero-chan, the only problem was he got a stomachache from eating too much of Touya's cooking, so I beg pardon for him."  
" Kero I'm familiar with." I blinked. " But I'm not familiar with Yukito..."  
" Oh. Maybe Syaoran told you about Yue." Touya offered. I blinked.  
" How does that...you're Yue?" I asked. Yukito smiled and nodded. He really was a nice looking boy, tall and slender, but not as tall as Touya. White hair, a little grayish though, friendly eyes with glasses neatly balanced on his nose. The stuffed animal didn't look like anything I've ever seen nor heard of; it looked like some kind of cross between a bear with wings and a baby lion with wings.  
" From what I heard of Syaoran's description," Yami chuckled, " Yue was really intimidating."  
" Ugh, nani? What's going on?" The stuffed animal cried. It had a voice that didn't seem to belong to it.  
" Kero, we're here." Yukito let go of the stuffed animal. Kero floated and looked at me.  
" Ano, ohayo?" I blinked.  
" Oh." Kero cocked his head. " You have weird magic. Nothing I've ever felt before."  
" Kero!" Touya and Yukito snapped.  
" No really, Yue!" Kero floated over to Yukito. " Don't you sense it?"  
" Of course I sense it." Yukito's voice sounded less friendly then. " This is a public area, Kerberus. Do you have any place we can talk in private?" Yukito's voice was light and friendly again.  
" Ano, sure, although I have an idea. Do you want to meet Syaoran? He's not exactly here," I offered. " He's with Ryou. I'll give them a phone call. Yami? Can you get them to the back?"  
" Sure." Yami put down the deck of cards he was holding. But the cards immediately caught Kero and Yukito's attention.  
" Interesting. How come I've never seen these before?" Yukito asked.  
" Because they never reached Tomoeda." Yami and I answered in unison. Then at Yukito and Touya's request, Yami told them the rules of the game while I told Ryou to bring the children over. The only problem was...Jou, Honda and Anzu were there.

  
  
" Watch out for the trap cards." I told Yukito. " They could really turn the game around."

Actually, Yukito wasn't playing Yami-he was playing me. But I'm his instructor, after all, or one of them, hinting Yami. So I decided to go easier on him. He didn't really get it very well, was awfully confused because he told Yami that the cards have some weird aura.

Which could have been a problem, if Yukito played it from then on. Because he was able to sense which card was which.

Just then, there was a jingling, which meant that Ryou and the others were here.  
" Come on Syaoran, they aren't going to bite you." I heard Ryou say to him. " After all, Touya did give you the book."  
" I don't know what I'm feeling right now." I heard Syaoran's voice reply.  
" They're in the back." Jii-chan told them.

" Now I'll see if Touya really does look like Kaiba." I heard Jou say. " Of course, Kaiba has blue eyes and Touya has brown, yadda yadda yadda,"  
" If you don't shut up I'm going to kick ye." Honda, of course. " You've been saying the same things over and over again ever since we left."  
" Alright! Chill! It's not like I'm hyper or anythin!"  
  
Yukito looked up from the game and waited patiently.  
" Gaw, he doesn't look like Kaiba. Or he does, wait," Jou got all confused. Touya was a little annoyed.  
" Syaoran!" Yukito smiled standing up. Syaoran, for the first time, was actually wearing a t-shirt and shorts, making him look even younger than we thought.

The kid just froze. Just _froze,_ his skin became icy snow white, and his eyes widened, a different shade of gold glowing from it. Yukito ignored it though.  
" How have you been?" Yukito asked. " You look like you need to gain a little weight." He pulled the child into a hug. I heard a sob come from Syaoran, at which Yukito let go and studied him. Syaoran looked like he was about to break down any minute.  
" Hold on," Ryou pushed Yukito away rather rudely, trying his best to soothe Syaoran. He did accomplish one thing: Syaoran never broke down, but Syaoran remained tense, as if he saw a ghost.

Meanwhile, Jou did not make a good impression on Touya. The guy always had a talent for getting people either annoyed or angry, and Touya was more of annoyed. Jou finally shut up when he recieved an identical glare with Seto from those brown eyes of Touya's. Yami and I sighed.

Mokuba was also recieving a lot of attention from Kero, who hung around him, floating around his head. The kid was very happy, although Kero also floated around Syaoran, still calling him gaki at first but stopped when he realized that Syaoran had gotten extremely sensitive. Because at _that_ point he started crying, and I have never seen Touya and the two guardians so surprised. I guess they never saw Syaoran cry before.

At that minute, quite appropriately, Seto entered the game shop.  
" Yugi?" He called.  
" Seto!" Jou turned around, relieved that he has an excuse to look away from Touya's glare. " You've come back!"  
" Gomen we couldn't pick you up." Mokuba told his brother. " We didn't know which airport you were using."  
" That's alright kiddo." Seto smiled. Then he came face to face with...

Touya.

Now that those two were together, well, we sort of realized that Seto Kaiba does _not_ look like Touya Kinomoto, partly because although they share the same hairstyle and glare, Seto's hair was much more neat. They share the same height, the same slim form, but their features were different. Seto had a look of intelligence and power. Touya just looked like...a confident but...nice kid, if you know what I mean.

" They _don't_ look alike." Jou remarked. Seto and Touya sighed in annoyance.  
" Konnichiwa. I'm guessing you're Kinomoto Touya."  
" I'm guess you're Seto Kaiba. It's good to meet you."  
" Same here."  
" There is a resemblance though." Jou was answered with a wack on the head from Anzu.  
" Why was Syaoran crying?" Seto asked after a moment's pause.  
" Ano..." Touya had a queer look that suggests discomfort. " Because the baka called him a gaki." He stuck a glare at Kero.

Seto raised his eyebrows. " That's Kero that I have heard about? From what I've heard, Kerberus was very intimidating."  
" Hey!" The little guy cried. " I _am _intimidating!" His wings grew huge, as he covered himself. There was a bright glow, and when the wings parted there stood a huge...

I don't know if it was a jewel armored lion or a tiger.

" Kerberus!" Yukito snapped. " We don't need to...argh."

Seto was a little surprised, and I said a little because he wasn't surprised at how Kero looked.  
" That's the...Kero I pictured." Seto nodded, satisfied.

Syaoran was silent. He was hiccuping. Seto, on the other hand, looked...relieved?  
" Well, I don't believe you and I had been properly introduced." Seto looked at Yukito. " I am Seto Kaiba."  
" I am Yukito Tsukishiro. Although you probably know my other form, Yue."  
" I do. Syaoran mentioned you."  
" That's nice." Yukito blinked. " I hope he didn't say things behind my back." He chuckled.  
" Actually, he did." Seto said thoughtfully. " Something about you breaking some kind of world record?"  
" Hot dogs?" Yukito blinked. " That was when I was fifteen. Three years ago."  
" What are you two talking about?" Anzu asked.  
" He told me Tsukishiro-san-"  
" Please call me Yukito."  
" Ahem. That Yukito-san entered some kind of hot dog eating contest and broke the record. How many was it?"  
" Don't remember. Don't want to either."  
" He had a stomachache and had to stay home for two weeks." Touya laughed, trying to brighten up the mood a little bit, which worked, because Syaoran relaxed a little.  
" Come, sit down." I offered. We all sat down on whatever was available to sit on, giving Yukito, Seto, Touya and Syaoran the couch, Anzu and Yami the chair, Honda and Jou the table. I sat on the carpet with Ryou. Mai wasn't there today.

" So how have you been, taking care of the little one?" Touya asked. Syaoran sniffed.  
" I'm not little." He protested weakly, as Touya rubbed him on his head.  
" I hear that Seto has been doing most of the work." Yukito smiled. " At least that's what Ryou told Touya."  
" How did he manage anyway?" Touya asked. " I know you're the owner of Kaiba Corps. Isn't that so?"  
" Hai." Mokuba spoke up. " He's smart."

This made us all laugh.  
" Of course he is." Touya laughed. " If he can go through that. How old are you?"  
" I'm fifteen."

There was a brief pause.  
" You're a high schooler?"  
" Not exactly." Seto suddenly realized where this was going. " I dropped out after I complained it was too easy. College was no harder."  
" What do we have here, a new generation Bill Gates." Yukito laughed.  
" No fair!" Touya jumped up. " I'm eighteen and I have to go to college, stick in dorms with losers, while _you_ get to hang out in a mansion? This is not right!" We started to laugh as he continued. " A fifteen year old is making more money than I am!"  
" It's not my fault." Seto blinked, amused. " You're older than me?"  
" I'm eighteen years old."

Seto was smart, so we didn't really bother with that. We found out Touya has quick wits too.

" Oni-chan!" Seto called, surprising all of us.  
" Kaijuu!" Touya answered, laughing. " What are you doing, stomping around your office all day?"

This made Yukito and Kero laugh. Syaoran just smiled a little.  
" That's what you call your imotou?" Seto blinked. " Hai, that's what Syaoran told me."  
" You're no less a monster, hanging around with your friends." Touya smirked at the cards.  
" Well, if I'm a monster," Seto got up and walked until he was face to face with Touya. " Allow me to do this."

I'm not sure whether Seto was trying to make Syaoran laugh, or whether he was trying to get Touya back for calling him kaijuu, but the tall boy stomped on the taller one's foot.

" Ow! He does it just like the first one!" Touya winced.

Seto maintained a straight face as he walked back to his seat, while Mokuba laughed at his brother's act.

" You'd think the name ' Kaijuu' has some kind of spell in it." Yukito commented.  
" It certainly does." Touya limped over to Syaoran. " When I leave, do the same thing to him for me."

Syaoran just raised his eyebrows. " I think I'll do that to you first." He said slowly, a little too cautiously but funny all the same. " I remember that it was more than once when you called me gaki."

We started laughing, Touya also, which relieved Syaoran quite a bit. Yukito was holding Syaoran around the shoulders, very much amused.

" Poor Touya." Yukito murmured. Seto smiled and leaned back, pleased.

" I never knew Kaiba to make a joke before." Yukito continued. " From what I've heard, Kaiba-san, you're very serious most of the time."  
" Until he met us." Jou answered, almost proud.   
" No wonder." Syaoran was much more relaxed at teasing us than teasing Touya and Yukito. " With someone like you, Jou, it's hard not to laugh at you."  
" Is that an insult?" Jou smirked. " Come here, come here!" He beckoned, and Yukito, being wicked, pushed Syaoran towards Jou. Syaoran stumbled a little, then backed away, but not in time to miss Jou attacking him, tickling him to no end.

Syaoran, to some extent, was right about one thing. It's hard not to laugh at Jou. There came a whole chaotic scene, with Syaoran trying to push Jou off.  
" Someone help here!" He yelled, and Honda offered to pull Jou off him. Syaoran was clutching his stomach, glaring playfully at Jou while Seto helped him up.

I really didn't know what was the purpose of our performance at that time. Maybe it was to show Touya and Yukito that we are capable of taking care of Syaoran. Maybe it was to get Syaoran relaxed and happier. Because we all realized that he does not have a happy past. 


	16. Chapter 15Ryou

Syaoran

Chapter 15-Ryou

Afterwards, Syaoran was much more relaxed, so Seto invited Touya and Yukito over for dinner. The only problem was Seto had to get back to work; he couldn't hang out very long. So he quickly left, telling us all that dinner is at eight.

Chinese food seemed to be Syaoran's favourite, just as green was his colour. We couldn't exactly have chocolate for dinner, and besides, just because Syaoran adores chocolate doesn't mean we all want to get fat. We were all, including Jou, wise enough to know that there's nearly nothing good about chocolate just as there's nothing good about tobacco. Quite frankly Chinese food was the safest.

Syaoran didn't like sushi or raw fish of any kind. It's strange, because after all, he lived in Japan for a year. But can you blame him? 

Yukito and I had a little talk. I told him my father was an archaeologist, and Yukito mentioned Fujitaka being one too, although he's more of a professor now. I told him about how this town really was. He noticed.

" I guess we were separated from the rest of the world, somehow." Yukito smiled. " Tomoeda is a peaceful place. This town isn't. We nearly forgot that there's still darkness in this world. By the way," He whispered. " Why is Yugi living with his grandfather?"  
" His parents died when he was very young." I told Yukito. " Although I do not think their deaths are as graphic as Syaoran's father's."  
" Syaoran's father?" Yukito asked thoughtfully. " Hai, Syaoran never mentioned his father. Do you know what happened to him?"

Yami Bakura did not choose that moment to come out, and storytelling wasn't my favourite thing to do, nor was it my talent. So I just told Yukito that when Syaoran was three, he saw his father beheaded by several dark beings. And then the poor boy was traumatized.

Yukito did not need any graphic images. He suddenly looked troubled, muttering something about telling this to Kero. 

We talked for a while. Yukito asked me where I was from, as I did not look purely Japanese. I said I came here from England, and that I was half English half Japanese-my father being Japanese. Yukito nodded, and mentioned that Eriol was also English, although more pure. He asked me about my mother. I told him she died when I was three, although it's not too graphic-she just died.

Yukito stopped and stared at me. There's this look in him that I found quite queer. He slowly told me that Sakura's mother died when she was three also.

Needless to say, I was quite freaked out. Not only is my father and her father studying ancient history, our mothers died when we were the same age.

Then Yukito told me a funny story about Sakura.

" She was four at the time." He said. " Very cute. I just came to Tomoeda for a year or so, and we heard that there was this type of oil from fish brains, and that if you drink it, you will have long life. This type of oil was stored in a bottle-one that only allows one drop at each time. What was it? A dropper. So Sakura heard about this and she climbed, pala pala pala, up into the cupboard, took out a bottle and dropped the drops into her mouth. She finished the whole bottle. Later, Touya and I were entering the house and we found the empty bottle on the counter. Touya was like, ' who did this?' and Sakura smiled and said, " I did! Now I'll live for a long time!" Touya said, " What are you talking about? This is the eye dropper! It's for the eyes!" And Sakura began rolling on her stomach muttering, " I'm doomed, I'm doomed, I'm gonna die." Later, Fujitaka took her to the doctor and the doctor ordered her to eat raw egg yolk so that the medicine would flush out."  
" She drank the eye dropper?" I laughed.  
" She was four. She couldn't read." Yukito chuckled. " But she was smart." He sighed mournfully.  
" Yami once asked Syaoran to tell us a funny story in his lifetime." I sighed solemnly. " He didn't have any to tell. Not even about Tomoeda. It seems that his life was simply unhappy before."

Yukito nodded, understanding.  
" The thing was," He told me, " We all care for him. But none of us understand who he is really. Or why he was the way he was. He never told us everything, and because our lives were so rich, we never really bothered to find out."

  
  
It wasn't until dinner when we all realized that Seto seemed very sickly and pale. But he was very enthusiastic, and for once, pretty sociable. It was a large dining room, with a long table to fit the eleven of us ( including Kero). Syaoran had warned Seto that Kero was a big eater, and it turned out he was. Luckily, there was plenty of food to spare, so we all ate a great deal.

Kero and Syaoran didn't get along very well; Kero kept on hurting Syaoran's feelings. So Yukito was smart enough not to let Kero and Syaoran talk to each other. Syaoran and Touya, on the other hand, seemed to be getting along very well, of course, throwing bits of magic at each other, with Touya trying to intimidate Syaoran and Syaoran trying to fry Touya with bits of electricity. Touya and Jou didn't get along very well; Jou was awfully rude most of the time, and Touya didn't like Jou's attitude. Yukito and Jou, on the other hand, seemed to be getting along normally, not talking very much though. Touya and Yukito was very interested in Yugi and Mokuba, as well as me, and Touya seemed especially close to Seto. Yukito and Touya also paid some attention to Anzu, and I'm wondering about how the relationship is between Touya and Anzu. Kero was just plainly interested in Mokuba and no one else.

At dinner, Seto told us some funny stories, which he didn't find funny at the time but found funny now.  
" There was one time when I went to New York." Seto smiled while looking up, trying to remember everything. " I walked into the building with some of my employees. We rode on the elevator and when we reached the floor...there was a sign that said, ' Notice: No Snoring Allowed. ( Fine: $300.)"  
" What kind of rule is that?" Touya laughed,  
" It's true!" Seto blinked. " And when I read that, my employees began to laugh. It later turned out there was some child of the manager that had ran around putting these signs up all over the place."  
" Kero won't be able to handle that." Yukito laughed. " He snores even when he's awake."

Kero glared at Yukito, while we all burst out laughing anew.

  
" So Syaoran." Yugi tried. " Tell us something in your past that was funny. Come on! I'm in the mood for a good laugh here!"  
" Hai, c'mon Syao, you must have had some funny incident some time ago." Jou encouraged. I looked at Yukito, and then watched Syaoran.

He was smiling, thinking back, trying as Jou had encouraged. But soon his smile faded, slowly, and he looked down.  
" Before I usually learned not to laugh too much." He began. " Because as soon as something good happened something bad happened right after. But I remember this one time, when I was...six, I think. We were at this swimming pool, and there was this guy in the showers that wouldn't stop singing. So what happened was, one of the managers, who got annoyed, turned off the water. The singing immediately stopped. Then another one, who liked to listen to the singing, went back to turn it on. The guy started singing again. On off, on, off, and pretty soon, our showers were being turned on and off." We started laughing at the picture. " The guy sounded like a CD being repeatedly played and paused."  
" What was he singing?" Jou asked.  
" " O sol mio." Syaoran smiled. " The swimming pool also lowered its level. There was shoutings." He laughed fakely. " But of course later it no longer was funny."  
" Why?"  
" They got into a fight right when I was coming out." Syaoran rubbed his head. " A guy nearly split open my head."

  
  
" What a lousy life." Jou muttered to me as we walked home. " Funny things right before tragedies? That's just not right."  
" I guess this means Tarkot was no much happier." Yugi said to Yami. " Before he met you."  
" I guess not." Yami wasn't looking very well. " But he certainly was not happy even after that."  
" That's the difference between Syaoran and Tarkot." I pointed out. " Syaoran seems happy. Because of Seto, maybe. Who would have thought!"  
" What a lousy life." Jou repeated. " There's just nothing cool about him. Could you believe that he actually prefers spendin time in the library? What kind of lamebrain would do that? He's totally a nerd!"  
" What's wrong with the library?" I asked in Syaoran's defense. " You know Jou, if you spend some time there, maybe you wouldn't fail so many of your tests."

At this Jou blushed. I really didn't care that I embarrassed him, making a mental note to apologize to him later. I was busy thinking that Jou was getting a little out of control. He ought to refrain a little. Yugi looked at me.  
" Is something wrong, Ryou?" He asked. " You don't seem to be yourself lately. All this snapping at Jou and Honda."

I sighed. " Iie. I guess I was just getting protective of Syaoran. He did save my life back there. Akira feels close to him too."  
" No wonder." It was Yami this time. " After all, Tarkot might be the only one who understands him."  
" He is." I answered. " I guess it's just that we're protecting him every way we can, I mean, so far the immortals did not attack us yet, but Syaoran is really nervous."

" You chatted with Yukito for some time, Ryou." Yugi said after a pause. " What did you two talk about?"  
" He told me that Sakura's father was an archaeologist, or a professor, I should say, and that her mother died when she was three."  
" Hai, ain't it strange? It seems the female Kinomotos die early." Jou blinked.  
" Don't say such things, Jounouchi." Yami scolded.  
" How come it is that Touya does not seem very sad?" Honda asked. " His sister died for heaven's sake!"  
" He is practical, unlike you." I muttered; it was not me who said it, but Akira. Yugi and the others knew it, I guess, because they didn't say anything.   
" What Akira means is," This proves my observation, " Is that Touya realizes that he still has Syaoran, and that these enemies are still out there. They could mourn later, or they have finished already."  
" True." Yami nodded, and Yugi sighed, having been the one who spoke.   
" I'm just glad that the kid seems alright now." Jou chuckled. " Remember how he was when he first came? He laughs a little, not a lot really, and then he went all cold and statuelike like Yami."  
" You have a reputation of offending people." I joked. Jou gave me this sad expression that made everyone laugh even more.  
" In any case, I'm glad everything's settled; Syaoran seems to be more comfortable with his old pals now." Honda snapped his fingers. " That Touya guy really does look a little like Seto, now that I think of it. Same glare."  
" Same ' Don't mess with me' look." I agreed. " But they don't really look the same."  
" Yukito is nice." Yugi added. " He's very friendly and polite."  
" They all are. They come from Tomoeda."  
" Seto and those two really get along well. I don't like the stuffed animal though. It hurted Syaoran's feelings too many times."  
" They had hard feelings before. I'm sure Syaoran would let this one pass."  
" I hope so." We turned around. We were going to split ways here. I walked home, alone, in the dark night. I got home safely, at least. 

Once home, Yami Bakura appeared in my room as I had come out of the showers, dressed in my pajamas and ready to go to sleep. I was tired as I flopped down on the bed. Yami didn't say anything when I looked at him in question.

Finally, annoyed, I asked him what was the matter.

" I have a distinct feeling that today is not going to be a good day, for starters." He looked at the clock. Two in the morning.  
" Why?" I asked.  
" Because I don't want Syaoran to go back to Tomoeda."  
" You care about him, don't you?" I asked softly.

He studied me for a brief moment, and I think I must have looked sincere because he decided I was not mocking him.  
" I don't really know." He answered, truthfully, and then I lied back and sighed.  
" You seem rather fond of him for now." I pointed out. " Why do you think he's going to go back to Tomoeda?"  
" Don't you see, you baka?" Yami snapped. " Syaoran didn't lose everyone yet. He still has four people left, two of which had come out of nowhere. He would definetely want to go back, instead of living in this dump with us."  
" Well," I was fairly unconcerned for the moment. " If that's what's best for him. Tomoeda is a better environment."

That was not what Yami wanted to hear. I didn't really care though. It wasn't because I did not love Syaoran. I just felt that Syaoran deserves someplace better than I can provide, which is why so far Seto and I share responsibilities. I guess Seto is going to think about taking over guardianship. Which is only if Syaoran decides to stay, but that's perfectly alright if he goes. Yami, on the other hand, wasn't taking this idea very well.

" I just don't like the idea." Yami admitted.  
" You never liked anything." I closed my eyes. " You never liked the idea of Syaoran coming here. You've never liked the idea of Seto taking him in as well. You never liked the idea of Duel Monsters destroying the world or any of that sort. You don't like Touya or Yukito or Kero."

If Syaoran never existed in our lives, perhaps at this point I would have been half dead. But something kept Yami from losing his temper. Something also gave me courage. We regarded each other in silence, before he sighed and lied next to me on top of the covers of my bed. We stared up at the ceiling.

" Truth to be told I don't want him to go either." I admitted. " But I'm thinking this is not the best place for him."  
" Mm." Yami's eyes were closed, his expression full of surrender and defeat. 

For a while we lied there in silence. I was beginning to wonder when Yami would go back to his ring. Then he spoke, which startled me slightly.  
" His appearance changed our lives, didn't it?" He asked. " Just like Pegasus had changed our lives, and Kaiba had changed our lives. But I think Syaoran changed our lives the most, because we've never really understood how great and powerful our friendships were."  
" He was lonely and frightened." I muttered. " The first time I saw him."

To my surprise, I felt a hand close around mine, and when I turned my head I saw Yami staring at me. And that stare was filled with a certain fear that I couldn't comprehend, mixed with a certain sadness I've never seen before. He was looking at me hopefully, as if praying for something. Then I understood. I gave him a reassuring smile, but he never looked away. Instead he turned around fully and pulled me to his embrace. I felt wet drops fall down on my neck and I realized he was crying. 

I had never felt more love for my Yami before. I understood that there was a reason I had met him in the first place. That night when I had nearly died Yami nearly died too. And Syaoran saved both of us. I wondered if Syaoran understood Yami as much as I do. I had always known Yami wasn't evil; no, he was not evil. Just a raging spirit, restless and forgotten, bitter with thoughts of death which he will never rest, and a life he shall never live. 


	17. Chapter 16Jou

Syaoran

Chapter 16-Jou

Dinner was great. That night was great, everything was great, except the fact that two immortals, or at least I thought they were immortals, nearly spot me, and if I didn't run for it they probably could have killed me. Pretty cool for a night, hai? The only reason I didn't beat the guts outta them is because I can't; they're gods, for heaven's sake! It's not like I have no magic anyway. I'm like the Meiling of the Li clan or Tomoyo of the Clow gang, the difference is instead of two of us, there are four; Anzu, Mai, Honda and me. Now you may be wonderin: what about Mokuba and Kaiba? 

Here's the deal. Yugi and Ryou happened to have magical powers thanks to their millenium items. And to fill ye in, no one else can have them other then their rightful owner, because...if Ryou didn't tell ye, then Touya had told Seto that Yami and Akira happened to be-I got it wrong. Ryou and Yugi happened to be the reincarnations of Yami and Akira. The only problem was, because of the whole Shadow Game deal, Yami and Akira's souls _split_, ( ouch) into two pieces. One, the darker half, got stuck in the millenium items. The other, the lighter half, went to wherever they go to be reincarnated some five thousand years later. So basically, Yami and Yugi are the same person. Ryou and Akira are too.

Anzu, Mai, Honda and I are just losers. We got no magical powers, we could only sit back and watch. The good thing, as Touya had pointed out, is that no magician can locate us, so we can go sneak and do some spyin if we have to, since they don't know who we are. As for Seto and Mokuba, _both _of them have magical powers, and I'll tell ye, if they ain't, I'd swear Seto wouldn't be as smart as he is now. Seto happened to be more powerful of the living magic, as Syaoran had called it ( since we have two types workin here; Yami's magic, which is dead magic, and Syaoran's type, which was, of course, living magic, purely because of the fact that Yami's stronger in the Shadow realm and someone like Clow Reed would be stronger in this one.) We learned quite a lot of stuff from the Kinomoto and the Tsukishiro, but not from the stuffed animal since he's too busy eating.

It had turned out Syaoran _was_ a brat before, at least as close to one as he can get, but when Touya heard about what happened to his father he started to gag and immediately admitted that he gives credit to Syaoran for not going insane after that incident. Syaoran admitted that he was very close to getting there, which happened; not during dinner but sometime after. We never mentioned Tarkot in front of Syaoran, but Yami described what he was willing to tell to Yukito and Touya the best he could. He didn't elaborate. We don't know all the details. Syaoran was supposed to be clueless. But in any case, this was basically what Yami said: Tarkot ran into the palace grounds and was caught. Yami, for some reason, decided to keep him as his slave, ( and Yami quickly excused himself by saying that during that time the economy was based on slavery) and for a while Yami never knew his name. Didn't see him either. Tarkot turned out to be a good and smart kid, and then something happened they got into an argument about the Shadow games. Yami heard that Tarkot's father was one of those thieves; was he a tomb robber? And was stealing some kind of precious material and was executed when Tarkot was three. Plague starts, wipes out virtually everyone Tarkot knows, which was why he ran into the palace grounds in the first place. Some shoutings about the game, challenges, which Tarkot lost to a close game, Tarkot loses hope, falls ill, dies.

Not very emotional, I would say. But at least he got the point across. Yukito and Touya were smart enough to know that there was more to the story then just Fight, argue, die. They were mighty puzzled about Tarkot's father, dying at the same time, and Yukito mentioned something about Sakura's mother dying as well. Then something about the plague. Yukito had asked Yami if he knew what it was. Yami forgot. ( Nice memory.) Did he know how Tarkot managed to survive? Yami had _no _idea. Smart Pharoah. Then Touya suggested that perhaps Tarkot had been carrying the disease all along, and asked if any servants caught the disease during Tarkot's stay. Yami shook his head. No, they didn't. 

Of course, the discussion was sadly, interrupted by Syaoran, who came in, running away from Mokuba who was protesting something about...candy canes?  
We had to stop the discussion, anyhow, since Yami didn't want Syaoran to remember everythin. Touya and Yukito seemed to understand and said they will listen to it later, after Syaoran is rescued from Mokuba.

  
  
Several days later, school had already started, of course, and that was when Syaoran chose to get sick on us. And in fact, we never noticed until he was really _really_ sick. You've probably heard about people going ' as pale as snow', and all that weird stuff about lips turning white and all that. Well, I know this sounds crazy, but in fact, that's what happened. Syaoran's face went whiter than Ryou's hair at one point, and of course started a good deal of commotion. Anzu happened to pay more attention to hygiene then the rest of us, although she doesn't like it, and finally came up with the obvious conclusion. Syaoran has a fever.

Oh sure, fever, what's the big deal? Tell that to Seto Kaiba. The guy went nuts. We knew that something was wrong with him; fifteen years old, running a company, trying to keep his reputation as Duel Monsters Champion, un, we know how that feels like. Sure, Seto's under stress, that sounds reasonable, we can take that. But the poor guy is _definetely_ suffering from a nervous breakdown. Not that he did anything stupid like send Syaoran to the hospital in an ambulence; Seto's a lot smarter than that. But the fact was he wouldn't stop worrying about him. It's a fever, for god sakes! Geez, you'd think that Seto had suffered from fevers and knew how ' deadly' they were. I mean, unless you were suffering from some kind of mortal wound or had been diagnosed with some weird thing like Hepatitis B, well, alright, fevers, you have a reason to worry. It's a darn virus! Wake up! But iie, Seto, at least he didn't do anything stupid, but he did act very, well, overeactive. That eventually caused him to be very malnutritioned and a couple of weird things happened, but that's for later, and for Seto himself to tell.

Oh yeah, I didn't forget. Syaoran's fever, yadda yadda yadda. I think...hehe, I did forget to mention, that Syaoran did give Seto quite some trouble. The poor kid was very sorry for it, not that he could help it. Li-sama woke up Seto quite a few times late at night slash early in the morning, ( say, four to five a.m.) to which his fever burned up real, man. He was like a toaster. Of course, Syaoran wasn't really concerned about it, as he had pointed out,

" There's a cycle for a fever, you baka." Was his exact words to everyone. So that kind of explains why he gets another fever burndown at like...say, ten to twelve in the morning, then lowers down to nearly perfectly normal, deceiving us to believe he was close to being cured, then gets another fever somewhere around six or seven, I think that was the time, then another almost normal temperature, and I say almost because it's still high, and then, wakes everyone up at four in the morning. I don't like the cycle.

  
  
During that time we found out hanging out without Syaoran was no longer quite as fun. I mean, we like to tease him and all. I enjoy beating someone in a game. Although Anzu was still a target.

" That brings your points down to zero." She smiled at me. I seriously do not like losing and I tolerate it less and less. Of course, since Syaoran had brutally scolded me for going crazy over a little ' game', I managed to control myself, and iie, I did not go jumping off the top of the Tokyo Tower, nor did I go jump off the Eiffel Tower. I have a life, ye know.

" Although you are getting better at it." She smiled. " The only problem is, I got better too. The other trick you pulled with my trap card was pretty good."  
" Arigatou." I answered sheepishly. It was after school, of course. We were at the Duel Monsters Trading Card center. Syaoran had went over and when he saw so many people dueling each other he got really scared, and said something about " Duel Monsters Haven". The poor kid was really intimidated. At that moment I had thought about having Syaoran come over and actually play within the crowd. We did get to know a few people here. Yugi was pretty famous, anyway.

If only he could get better soon.

  
  
Which he did, after three days. Seto looked majorly ill. If we hadn't known better we would have thought _he_ was going to fall sick. Which he didn't; Seto was pretty tough. But in any case, I remember that second time when we brought Syaoran, now a little weak because of that nasty fever of his, into the center. He looked even more scared than before, I don't know if he's actually more afraid or nervous or amused.

Since this center was focused more on middle schoolers and high schoolers, Syaoran quickly became the baby of the group, and needless to say, everyone grew interested in him. Mokuba never came here so he never got a chance. There were actually some pretty good duelists around here, and since Syaoran was rather young and very kawaii, some of them offered a game to him.

Hehe, Syaoran surprised everyone. He didn't exactly win really, but came very close to, and I could tell from Yugi's expression that he was proud.  
" I summon Curse of Dragon." Syaoran didn't say it very confidently, rather robotic. " And I put down a trap card. Don't ask." He snapped when Yugi raised an eyebrow.

He always put a comment in the end. ' Don't laugh', or something like ' I have no idea why'. Alright, not always. Just sometimes. In the end, he lost, nine hundred to zero-zero to nine hundred, I mean. The guy, Shigeru, was very impressed. When Shigeru said ' I win.', Syaoran smiled this funny smile that made us all laugh at the sight of it. I never did find out why he smiled like that. It was one of those, ' Did I do that?' kind of smile, and of course, when Syaoran smiles, it always made him look more adorable. What can you expect from an eleven year old kid?

  
  
So quite frankly it went pretty well, Syaoran's first public experience with a bunch of good duelists other then Yugi and Seto. And as he was eleven, well, he didn't really have to feel embarrassed by some dumb loss. And even after he lost some duelists still wanted to play him. There were some pretty good duelists in our town; this guy named...Toyota...I forgot his first name...he was one of the top sixteen in the Duelist Tournament. Then there was one of Mai's acquaintances, her name was I think...Mimi? Of course, you can't expect the kid to beat any of them, since first of all, he's more or less of a beginner, and second, he ain't really into the game as much as Pegasus would have liked, perhaps, and no wonder, since he's got his own deck, man! ' Course, he never uses it really at that time.

We didn't learn anything new from Syaoran during this period. Of course, there came this problem about school. Syaoran was a little nervous about it when Ryou mentioned it to him, and no wonder. This place ain't Utopia. Besides, Syaoran had pointed out, he ain't sure if he has much of a future anyways. ' Cause one night we got a big bump on the head as a reminder of what's going on.

The guy that came into the game shop the other night...I think Anzu described that one, was actually Zodiac Tiger. Soon we figured out that unfortunately, the card captor gang back in Tomoeda only succeeded in taking out the four weakest zodiacs, which was the rat, the hare, the monkey, and the hog. Which kind of makes sense, because the stronger zodiacs ain't that easy to take out; none of the attacks worked-I mean, except for Yami's magic and the cards, of course, which Sakura never had a chance to use.

It was like this. Honda, Syaoran, Mokuba and I are at the park in the center of the town. I won't describe in detail, but there came this woman cloaked in black and gray. It turned out, she was Zodiac Horse, but at that time we didn't know. She was strong, man! Before we knew it, Honda and I were knocked out of the picture, but I was conscious. Mokuba had magic but he didn't know how to use it. And so it was the first time we saw Syaoran use magic to protect others.

He said something like, " Force, know my plight, release the light! Lightning!" And down came bolts of electricity out of nowhere. Honda and I were gaping, as was the rest of the people, and Syaoran muttered something about, ' out in public of all places'. Zodiac Horse probably couldn't care less if us mortals were confused and panicky, but Syaoran surely did. Unfortunately, his ' tiny' bolts of light, as Horse had said, couldn't harm her an itch, paraphrased, that is, and the throwing of magic quickly became swordplay.

It was the first time we saw him fight. And he was good. The sword came into view in his hand, and a staff came to view in the hand of Zodiac Horse. Metal clashed on ivory, blade clashed on pole. Syaoran's body was a blur. But he was only eleven years old, and only has so much endurance. Mokuba ran to us and helped us up, and we watched Syaoran and the zodiac in a kind of trance. It was not until Yugi and Ryou appeared did we finally wake up.

By that time, Syaoran was exhausted, and could only manage to block the blows. Yugi's millenium puzzled glowed and Yami took over. He flipped out a card and the Dark Magician stood before Syaoran, staff in hand. Yami commanded the magician to attack, and the magician did, but not with Dark Magic.

It was because the zodiacs were on a higher status then the monsters. The Dark Magician was partly under their command. But they were under Syaoran's, as well as Yami's. We didn't know that, and Yami had a puzzled look. 

For a moment, at first, the Dark Magician and the Zodiac stared at each other. The Dark Magician had a blank look, the zodiac had a look of intensity and concentration. Zodiac Horse was studying the magician, as if daring him to touch her. The magician didn't dare defy any of his commanders and for a while stood there confused. Then he got into a defense position, in front of Syaoran, his staff held horizontally in front of him, ready to block any blow.

The zodiac had a sneering look of contempt and shot some kind of brownish ball of light at the magician. It didn't really kill him, exactly, but it did wound him a little. Only then did the Dark Magician attack, and as I had said, not with Dark Magic. Instead, he threw his staff and the thing, spinning like a frisbee, hit the zodiac right in the chest.

Ryou's yami took over and Akira commanded the Dark Magician in his turn. But his words were as useless as Yami's, because the Dark Magician made it clear that he wouldn't do as they say. He tried though, and he did attack, but soon it became pure defense.

Honda and I rushed over to the poor kid to help him up. Syaoran gave a call, and the Dark Magician whirled and turned around. Just as a spark of ray reached him he vanished, as if he had never been. And so did we, we were off and runnin, Mokuba struggling to keep up. Out of nowhere came a fireball, and we saw this huge tiger with wings, which we recognized as Kero.

" Get out of here!" He yelled, and we did. Kero and Yue never told us what happened. We just knew that Zodiac Horse never went home again. 


	18. Chapter 17Seto Kaiba

Syaoran

Chapter 17-Seto Kaiba

It was actually during dinner when Touya told me about the sensing act.

" Each person has an aura." Touya had mentioned. " I use to have one, but because my sister wasn't strong enough to support Yue and herself at once, I had to give all of my powers to Yue, otherwise, he'll just disappear. You probably never noticed, since Syaoran wears green all the time anyway, but he has a green aura. Sakura has a pink one. It's not really something you can see, exactly. It's more of combining all of your five senses, mixed along with some mysterious sixth sense. A person's aura can tell you many things."  
" Like what?" I had asked. " I mean, I know Mokuba's more or less...brown...is brown a good color?"

At this Touya smiled and shoved me playfully.

" Still a child, eh?" He teased. " The truth is, the color of the auras does not determine what kind of person he or she is. It's just a kind of identity. Like a wordless name. Think of Syaoran. Syaoran's name in Chinese is ' Little Wolf'. Well, wolves were not the most favorable in China. They were considered evil. Is Syaoran evil? Iie, it's only a name. He was a brat, of course. But there's no vice in him. Your aura is black. You're not evil either. It's just your identity."

Well, I didn't really like the color. I mean, to dress in black, that I can handle. But black, well...

" The aura can tell you how powerful this person is, where this person is, how he or she is feeling, whether he's sick, and so on and so forth. But of course, auras go for objects too. Right now, the card book is green. The lasin board is reddish. Objects tell you the same thing; although it won't tell you if its broken or not."

I learned a great deal of things from Touya that night. Magic, undoubtedly, is a dangerous business. Touya told me that there are incantations for several spells, and of course, later that night he took me out to try one of Syaoran's moves. The minute I said " Lightning!" Two bolts of light struck near Kero, who was startled out of his wits. I actually liked that act, and decided to remember it. Touya nodded in approval, then warned me not to use it too often, as the consequences were made apparent by Pegasus.

There is no more to talk about that night, nor the period when Syaoran was sick, because Jou had made it pretty clear. I think I did go a little insane though, all thanks to the bastard in Duelist Kingdom, although I guess it was my own foolishness to play right into his game once again. I didn't take Syaoran to the Duelist Center, but I was very amused when Honda and Anzu gave me the full report on the conditions. Sometime later, Syaoran accidentally stepped on my foot, and from then on he earned the nickname ' kaijuu', only he was _my _kaijuu this time.

  
  
The incident Jou had mentioned happened in my office building. I forgot to eat breakfast and lunch, as well as dinner the other night, which proved to be a disadvantage. I was discussing company matters with a couple of other business owners who wanted me to assist them in something that will bore you totally.

I knew what they wanted and we were going to negotiate. It happened to be that the automatic door had some problems and closed right on my left palm. It was very hard, although it wasn't sharp, and it hurted _a lot._

I had thought that the pain would ebb sooner or later, which it did, but not before darkness swirled around my eyes and all of the sudden I was dreaming.

Fainting is _not_ fun. If any retard tells you that, he's wrong. In truth, my kind of shock is more or less of falling asleep while walking. It really didn't make sense, because from the best of my medical knowledge I had assumed that a shock meant your body systems shutting down, including your brain. If your brain shuts down you're _not_ supposed to dream. But I did dream, I knew I did, because although I forgot what they were now, when I woke up I remembered the dreams. I remembered the feeling of the dreams. And I dreamed a whole bunch of weird things, in those few minutes. When I woke up, I was pretty confused, because I was partly expecting to be in bed. When I saw the face of one of the trust CEOs, I thought I was dreaming. For a brief second I forgot what had happened and I started. And then I basically said, " What happened?"

  
  
They said, " It's alright. You fainted."

And that's how I got my memory back.

Fainting is _not_ fun. It's not because the actual fainting is not fun. It's what comes after that. You faint, you fall, that's that, because you don't know anything, everythings alright. When you wake up, everything's cold. When I spoke, I was surprised at how weak my voice sounded, and then nausea took over the stomach and I felt dizzy.

" Lie him down. Call the ambulence." I heard someone call.

  
  
I knew my hand wasn't broken, but it was the source of the problem. At that moment my mind was very clear, I knew what was going on. I wasn't scared, I wasn't confused, but I was very _very_ sick. I told them I was going to throw up. One of the trust bosses called to one of the employees to get the garbage can. I threw up into it, and one of them remarked that ' it's all liquid'.

As I had once thought very unfortunate, many people knew my age, but at that time I was pretty grateful for the knowledge. One of the managers came to me and rubbed my back, and tried to relieve the stressed tendons for whatever reason as I threw up. I was shivering and shaking, and wondering why the heck isn't shock just faint, wake and everything's over. I knew I did _not_ need to go to the hospital. Did they listen to me? Iie, they called the ambulence anyway. I told them I need to lie down; I was too tired to vomit anymore. I closed my eyes but the ambulence came quickly, so I didn't fall asleep.

I stayed nauseous and cold for two and a half hours after I had fainted. After the two and a half hours, in which they took x-rays of my hand and decided everything's fine, and had called Syaoran in who looked at me, greatly amused and sympathetic, sent me home, I've never felt more embarrassed.

I had fainted because I smashed my hand. I still can't believe I did that. The Duel Monsters Champion and the CEO of Kaiba Corps fainted because he smashed his hand. I was bitter a few days later, and very grumpy, because although I didn't faint again I was truly embarrassed and my hand was still sore. I went to work after that and everyone asked if I was alright. I smashed my hand, for heaven's sakes! You can't die from smashing your hand! Especially since it didn't bleed or anything, good god!

But the good thing was, I was fifteen years old. I've never been more thankful that I was young, I mean, I hated being called a ' kid', or ' Kaiba_boy_', as Pegasus had named. But I guess the name came in handy, because if I was Kaiba_man_ I probably would have been jeered and sneered at by everyone once this got out.

But did they _have _to put ' Fifteen Year Old Seto Kaiba Fainted on Tuesday' in the newspaper?

  
  
Syaoran did not help my confidence very much, although he didn't mean to. He didn't exactly make fun of me, really. I mean, if he were any other person, such as Jounouchi, maybe I would have shrunk into a hole by then. One look and he knew that my hand wasn't broken. But he gave me this look that said ' You fainted because of _this_?' 

If I had been any other person, I wouldn't have thought much of it. But since they did publish that cursed newspaper, and I was by no means unfamous, I couldn't help but feel queesy at the thought of fainting. I silently vowed never do that again, unless it was something very serious. I had fainted because I smashed my hand! What kind of excuse is that? But Syaoran at least was able to prevent me from commiting suicide.

" At least you know you're capable of fainting." He mentioned, in front of _everyone_, even Pegasus, who had come over just to ' make sure I'm okay'. " I mean, if you can't faint, that would be a really _bad_ thing."

This caused laughter among everyone, especially Touya and Pegasus. I was feeling mighty grumpy and Syaoran wasn't helping. But he gave me this bright smile so I couldn't snap at him. I felt so lousy. I never felt so lousy.

" Un, Kaiba-sama." Honda joked. " But it really must have hurted."  
" Hai." Syaoran agreed. " The hand is very sensitive to pain."

I did not like that. But at least that _is _an excuse.  
" Arigatou." I said gruffly.  
" Not to mention, I wouldn't be surprised." Pegasus added good naturedly, with Syaoran sitting like a five year old on his lap. Syaoran is pretty small, a small child, really. " I doubt that you ate much, Kaibaboy."

" Hai." Syaoran nodded. " My aunt once fainted because she didn't eat breakfast and lunch. You're better off than most people, oni-chan-' He called me that ever since I called him kaijuu- " It's better than fainting out of fear. There's this one time my sister hit her head against the wall. They took her to the hospital, with my mother holding her bleeding head. When my mother saw how they wove the stitches into her head, she fainted instead of my sister. At least you fainted because you didn't eat much plus the pain you had. If it had been because of fear, then you have a reason to be embarrassed."

Somehow this comforted me a little, although it didn't really boost my confidence. The employees at Kaiba Corps were decent enough not to mention it at all. My friends, on the other hand, weren't as nice, and except for Pegasus and the remainder of the Tomoeda Gang they teased me ceaselessly for weeks.

  
  
The discussion on Syaoran's education happened sometime after Jounouchi and his group decided to quit the jibberish. 

" It's not like in Tomoeda." He said quietly. " In Tomoeda, everything's under control. But here, I mean, I don't know if it's the same for elementary school. I don't want to get into any trouble."

It was here when I saw danger that even Pegasus never guessed. What if he goes back to Tomoeda? I never really did understand why I was trying so hard to keep him here. But somehow I was, and I knew it, full well.

" The truth is," Syaoran sighed. " I don't know what my future is going to be. I mean, the immortals, they are still out there, waiting, crouching under the bushes..."

  
  
Now that I think of it, Syaoran talked less and less of his own problems, because our problems began to surface. Yami, Akira, everyone started to recognize their own lives. The fainting attack-that wasn't a coincidence. Yami's memories-that wasn't either. Syaoran did go to school in this town. But soon that school, well...

  
  
In actuality, this was the point when everything took a turn. 


	19. Chapter 18Anzu

Syaoran

Chapter 18-Anzu

It was somewhere around midnight when we first met Yue.

It was a dark night, with the full moon but no stars. All of us had found ourselves at the radio tower, with petals of flowers fluttering down like rain.

He was a cold and divine figure. There was an aura of power and beauty within him, a grace that cannot be outdone. But he was so cold, so unlike his false form Yukito. Syaoran had been right all along. We stood there, awed. We saw Syaoran, standing at the edge of the building. The girl was nowhere to be seen. We saw him, staff in hand, with a cloak around his shoulders, flapping in the wind. Yue faded. Syaoran faded. All of us woke at the same time.

None of us knew what it meant. But we all recognized Yue, and we all felt something was going to happen. Something strange. But I still remember that dream, the magnificent angel standing in the moonlight, his cold eyes bearing down upon us. But he wasn't looking at us. He was looking at Syaoran.

  
  
It was in a meadow when we first met Yue, face to face. He looked less mystical, but there was an aura of coldness about him that didn't exist in the dream.

Syaoran would have none of it. No matter how much Touya and Seto tried, Syaoran wouldn't face Yue. Yue didn't seem to care, though. His face was completely emotionless, not even acknowledging us. His eyes were hard. Were they always like that? I had wondered. 

Yue had his arms folded in a bored stature, as if purely not interested in Syaoran. And the poor child had no intention of meeting Yue either. 

None of us were very comfortable. Yue seemed just too cold and aloof. And Syaoran would have none of that. So finally, Touya gave up and Syaoran just ran out of there, followed by Seto.

" Why didn't you help me?" Touya asked Yue. Yue just looked at him and said nothing.  
" Can't you see the poor kid needs help?"  
" Of course I see." Yue said coldly. Touya was not daunted, though.  
" He's afraid of you."  
" I know."  
" Well? Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Yue shifted a little and folded his wings. " He can think what he will."  
" He's your new master Yue."

At this Yue's expression changed slightly, as if annoyed.  
" Sakura is my master."  
" She's gone Yue. Syaoran has the book. And remember how it looks like? It changed. Can't you accept it?"

At this Yue said nothing. And for the first time we saw how Touya looked like when he was angry. He became even colder than Yue was, and a perfect imitation of Seto Kaiba at his worst.

" You've always been unable to accept the inevitable." He said in a dangerous voice. " And you've always blamed everything on everyone else. Did you forget? It was you who held Syaoran back, you who prevented him from going. It was you who didn't allow him to hand himself over, even as he begged ceaselessly so that the others would be spared. And now you tell me that it was Syaoran's fault that Sakura was killed. That Eriol was killed. That everyone in that park was killed save for Syaoran, Kero, and yourself. Syaoran was traumatized."

Yue said nothing. He remained expressionless, leaning against the tree with an air of boredom and annoyance. But Touya did not stop.

" He's the only thing left of Sakura, Yue. Are you going to let that go now?" He asked. At this Yue raised an eyebrow and stared at Touya.

Suddenly, Yami gasped, jolted and fell to his knees. Yugi hurriedly helped him up.  
" What is it?" I asked.

" Tarkot." Yami closed his eyes and shook his head. " This was what happened to Tarkot. Tarkot..."  
" Slowly Yami, are you alright?" I asked, helping him up. Yami nodded, and looked at me, clinging onto my arms to support himself.  
" One of his friends appeared in the palace grounds." He swallowed. " He wanted to kill Tarkot. Oh my god..." Yami turned pale, as pale as snow, and we all looked towards Touya and Yue.

The Moon guardian had perked up and had stared at Yami with those cold eyes of his. They were wide and there was a look of doubt in them. Yami didn't know though, and he was staring at me with those red eyes of his, widened with new realization.

" That was after the Shadow Games, Anzu." He was trembling. " He had found out about their danger. Oh my god, that was the reason he was trying so hard to protect me-" He broke down into sobs.

It was the first time we had ever seen Yami this way, so weak, like a little child. I was trying to support him along with Yugi.  
" But there was more, there was more, what is it?" He lamented, and I tried to soothe him the best I could. Slowly his sobs died down and he was simply shaking, although less and less. I looked up to see Yue, and there was a great change in him. Instead of the cold, emotionless, bored figure, there now stood a doubtful, conflicted human being, staring at Seto who was encouraging a pale child to step out of the past and into the future.

  
  
Syaoran was a sensitive child. At Yue's rejection he was deeply wounded at heart. He sought Seto for comfort but eventually Seto was unable to help him any longer. So Syaoran turned to me.

But it was too late by then. Because by then Syaoran had closed in. It was not until then, did we see the Li Syaoran of Tomoeda.

  
  
" Konnichiwa." I smiled. " How's that school of yours?"  
" Boring." Syaoran answered bitterly. " Time is all wasted on lectures."  
" Well, I guess in Tomoeda it's different, hai?"  
" We don't even do anything." Syaoran complained. " In Tomoeda we have clubs. There are cheerleading programs and soccer programs. Here after school we just...duel."  
" What can be more fun than that?" Jou asked.

Syaoran threw him a glare before giving a low growl. " It's boring." He complained roughly. " You just sit there like a lazy couch potato shouting and yelling over a stupid game."  
" Everyone's a critic." I answered, turning back to my book.

We were slightly uncomfortable with this change. We tried our best to tolerate it, but it was getting harder and harder.

" How come Duel Monsters have to exist?" Syaoran grumbled. " In Tarkot's time they started the plague, anyway."  
" They did?" I answered absently, not really realizing what Syaoran said.  
" Hai." Syaoran answered, disgusted. " They taunt you and lure you until you're addicted. And then they start working magic. Those monsters have a mind of their own off the battlefield, good heavens. And unfortunately the disease was highly contagious."  
" Oh really." I was not interested. Syaoran ignored me though.  
" They start chewing at you. There are different forms. Some people bleed to death from a small cut, like my mother, and that kind of thing is not genetic. Some people couldn't digest the food they eat. They all go through two stages and then die. Wala."  
" Wonderful."

Syaoran took out a deck of cards and went through them.  
" Where did you get that?" I asked, interested for the first time that day.  
" Found it littered on the streets. Some loser spilled it all. I waited for about half an hour and decided no one is coming to fetch them. There are some strange cards here. Curse of Dragon? Reaper of Cards? What the-yuck! The Great Moth looks disgusting! And this cuccoon thing is too! Some people draw this stuff."  
" Kero said something about the cards working in this realm. Where is he by the way?"  
" He's at the Kaiba Mansion. Playing with Mokuba. As always. They're playing video games over there."  
" Oh. Not eating?"  
" For once. There are two things that matter to Kero in life outside magic. Food, mostly desserts though, and video games. The lousy stuffed animal doesn't have a life."  
" Who does?" Jou asked. " We all live lousy lives. What can you expect from this dump?"  
" So true." Syaoran muttered. " For once I find people who live worse than I do. Look at Seto." And I started to listen more and more closely as he went on.

" Fifteen year old boy, got out of college two years ago, working in his own company and taking care of his house as well as his brother. At first I thought I was adding to his burdens. But then I can't leave." Syaoran tossed the cards out, and surprisingly they landed in a neat pile on a table opposite mine. " I can't leave! Kaiba-sama couldn't let me go! If I went it will mean murder! That's that! I can't stay either! He's holding on to me as if I was his one and only source of protein! But then he has that company of his. You remember that time when he fainted! You don't faint from smashing your fingers! He didn't eat at all for a day! What can you expect? And then you have Yami. He doesn't know that I remember everything in my past. Oh gee, let's see, how many times did Tarkot try to escape that cursed palace of his? And how many times did Tarkot try to save Yami? I remember it all. The only problem is, I can't talk to Yami about it, because he is just like me! He fears his past! And Akira and Ryou are finally getting along somehow. I have no idea why. Pegasus-sama is protected from those darn voices because the voices are preoccupied with me!"

He said it with such sarcasm I knew that he was vastly annoyed, but at the same time worried.

" I've come here to escape my past." He blurted out everything just then. " I ran into more people's pasts! And not only that, I run into the past of my past! Isn't that great." He gave us all a fake smile, then grabbed a random book and began reading. I was glad that only Jou and I were there. Jou was tough to beat, and I understood the boy's problems.

" You remember everything?" Jou asked.  
" Hai. Everything Yami did, everything Tarkot did, as clear as if it were yesterday." Syaoran answered. " If Tarkot lived any longer, I'd probably have brain damage."  
" Yami's not going to be happy about that." I said softly.

Syaoran put down his book and covered his eyes with his left hand.   
" Which was why I never mentioned anything about Tarkot." Syaoran answered softly. " To tell you the truth, I didn't remember anything until that visit with Pegasus. That day when Kaho-san was there and everything. When we were coming back, everything came crashing down, and I could hardly keep from staggering. It was so strong." Syaoran sighed, quieting.

" I remember the time when I was already at Yami's place. I was Yami's slave." He said in a far away voice. " There came a stranger into the hall and one of the nobles demanded to know who he is. His name was Enmut, one of Tarkot's dearest friends. The only one who survived the plague, after I had ran away from it. I remember that deadly look in his eyes, a look of coldness and rejection, and the minute the eyes met mine they froze as ice froze, with a coldness that can only be hatred.

There are times, Anzu, when love is not strong enough to hold life together, because although many stories speak of it, love is but a piece of Life. Love is strong. Hatred is stronger still. Yet love and hatred are the weakest of the human mind. Tarkot loved Enmut as one loves his dearest brother. Enmut hated Tarkot as one had hated wolves so many years ago. Enmut threatened to kill Tarkot, saying that it was Tarkot's fault that everyone died. That I killed my friends, my brothers and sisters, my mother." Syaoran's face was pale.

" Enmut had a magnificent sword that he must have stolen from one of the pyramids. Yami was wise and he immediately saw danger. It was too late." Syaoran shook his head, holding his face in his hands. " It was too late. Enmut cried to me, _then why are you the only one that's alive? Why is it that when I was away in another town, everyone around you perished, while you ran off here, filled with sin, trying to forget your evil deeds as a rich healthy servant in the palace of the living Horus?_ My lord stepped in the way and scolded Enmut, trying to protect me. But in reality Enmut's job was done. I released my first attack. It was lightning, just like now, and before I knew it Enmut was dead. It did not help Tarkot, and he always remembered those words, had always believed it was his fault his family died, his friends died, and tried to make up for it by attempting to save Yami from himself."

" Yami. Poor Yami. I knew he never meant to hurt me in any way. I know he was really sorry and he still is. He is scared, you know? He's afraid that I'll rebuke him. He's afraid that I'll hurt him where it hurts most. I guess the past is what most people fear. I'm just glad that Sakura died without regrets. I sure wouldn't have that chance."  
" What's there to regret?" I asked. " You didn't do anything wrong."

And then Syaoran pointed directly towards the source of his problem.

" Then why does Yue hate me?" 


	20. Chapter 19Akira

Syaoran

Chapter 19-Akira

When I first saw Yue I felt more then just the coldness emitting from him. As an angel he was fair, a mystical being of great power. Yue was a picture of confidence that I never had, with an aura that demands respect but discourages closeness. At the sight of him I had a strange desire to please him and win his approval, and a sensitive apprehension of being ignored or rebuked.

He was a symbol of power and independence. At the sight of him you would not feel that he needs protection, and even Syaoran, now that he had changed to who he was in the past, seemed the same way. And as I understood the boy very well, I knew that the child also experienced the desire to win the angel's approval, and at the ignorance was deeply wounded at heart. I would be too, truthfully. But for the child it was worse because he was younger than I am, and children have this feeling by nature. The wish to please.

When Yami broke down I felt a feeling of scorn. To weep is a sign of weakness. It is actually strange, because to weep is, indeed, to show weakness, and yet on children and women, it is their greatest weapon. I did not scorn Syaoran for crying, but I did for Yami. I understood his pain though. We all did things that we regret in the past.

I remember the guardian's look of doubt. His gray eyes suddenly sparked and his face looked troubled. Although Yami was very vague and did not explain much in his laments we all got the message. Yue, though cold and indifferent, was not evil and did not wish to kill. We all knew of Yami's meaning. If this goes on, chances are, Yue might be responsible for Syaoran's death, just as Enmut is partly responsible for Tarkot's.

It was brief. We couldn't understand why Yue rejected Syaoran so, if Yukito seemed to accept him. Yue did not appear again for a long time, only wandering about us as Yukito, the kind person we liked best. 

To me, Yukito was a great example of a type of human that harms more people than most believe. He is almost like a symbol of a person who is gentle and polite, with an overshow of kindness that cannot possibly exist in those who lost their innocence and childhood. But underneath is a cold, unfeeling being, a spirit in a guise of an angel. He may not be evil, but he is the one who harms the best. The kind act lowers the guard completely, so the human is at the mercy of the angel's wrath. Syaoran did not intend on making the same mistake. He would not talk with Yukito. Yukito seemed hurt by it, and probably is, but none of us trusted Yue so we did not help him. We did not know how to settle this problem. Syaoran did not touch the card book and rejected Yukito just as Yue had rejected him. It seemed wrong, almost, because it was not Yukito's fault. But sometimes anger can work this way. You harm the wrong person.

  
  
When Yue did appear, it was with me, for some reason. I was at the park late at night. Ryou was sleeping; he had a hard day. I was throwing rocks into the lake in the park when Yue appeared, and I was so startled I nearly fell in myself. For a minute I stared at him, and then I turned back to throwing things into the pond.

" You seem quite thoughtful." I said to him. " What are you thinking about?"  
" What should I think about?" Yue asked.

At that point I realized that I really had nothing to fear from him. For one thing, I might be even older than he is.

" Perhaps you should think about the future." I answered. " You cannot get anything out of the past anymore."

He was silent. I realized he was not the talkative type.

" You know," I began quietly. " That day when we first met you, I had an impression that you were a great person." I wasn't looking at him, but I felt his eyes bearing into me. " And truth to be told, there was a slight fear coming from every one of us. You were immortal, you were cold and indifferent. We were all shocked at the way Touya had talked to you.

But you know something?" I turned to him, facing him without fear. " I think you're as troubled as the child. I know you are not fluent in accepting change. Syaoran isn't either. Yami and I aren't either. We are all the same. But living in the past will not get you anywhere, because the world goes on and you have to follow it."

Yue was silent.

" What are you doing here?" I finally asked. " What are you doing here?"

Yue shifted slightly. " I don't know."  
" I doubt it." I answered. " Before, I was like you. Wandering about, with no purpose. But then I realized there are no coincidences. It isn't a coincidence that Ryou and Syaoran fell into a coma at the same time and met. It isn't a coincidence that Syaoran had wandered into this town out of all towns, and Ryou had found him, choking to death in the rain, with no clothes except for what he was wearing and absolutely no money. No buffoon would do that; leaving home without money. The world depends on money now. Money has become, even as we deny it, more important than life itself, because money has become life. It isn't a coincidence that Seto took a liking to him. Seto is a multi-billionaire. So it certainly isn't a coincidence, that Syaoran had simply touched the book and transformed it just like that, and that the twelve immortals have been following him all the way here. And, it certainly isn't a coincidence that the lame brained Jounouchi had remembered that Touya was still alive and asked Ryou ad Yugi to find him, while two guardians who were once dead were suddenly alive and well. Have you ever thought of that, Yue? Why is it that Touya had come and found the game shop? Why is it that Ruby Moon and Spinel did not come with you? Are they alive Yue?"

" Iie." Yue answered, after some hesitation.

I sighed. " We all love the boy."  
" I can tell."  
" Why can't you?"  
" I do not freely love."  
" I can tell that. We do not either."  
" Then why do you love him?"  
" Because unlike you, and all the rest of us, Syaoran managed to remember who he is, even though his identity is lost and everything he loved was gone. It's just like Tarkot, Yue. Tarkot ran and became a slave to Yami. But he will never be a true slave. He has his own thoughts, his own mind, his own soul. Do you know who you are Yue?" I asked.

Yue stared at me. " I am the Guardian of the Clow Cards."  
" Wrong."

The guardian started, and then stared at me. I looked at him steadily. I have nothing to fear.  
" You're wrong. You're not the guardian of the Clow Cards. If you think that way, Yue, then slowly you will lose yourself. Ask me who I am."

Yue hesitated. " Who are you?"  
" I am Ryou." I said, in a definete tone. " I am Akira, and I am Ryou." I tossed another stone into the water. " Do you know who made me realize that Yue?"

" ...who?" Yue asked hesitantly.

I smiled sadly. " Syaoran."

Yue started, and the majestic aura was replaced with a troubled, doubtful aura, but his lost none of his dignity.

" So who are you, Yue?" I asked. " Are you willing to accept your real name now? Because time has gone by. The child is wounded and dying. The child is waiting."

For a moment Yue was silent. And then, in the softest whisper I've ever heard, he spoke his name.

_I am the guardian of the Xiaolang Cards._

  
  
  
  
  
  
It was a raining evening when we all sensed them, and all of us, including those who do not possess magical powers. Syaoran became uneasy and Touya became nervous.

A crack of thunder signaled their arrival and one lightning bolt hit the ground in front of Yami, who jumped back, crying out in surprise.  
" Yinhu!" Syaoran yelled. " Yami! Are you alright?"  
" Hai." Yami was slightly shakened. " What was that?"  
" A lightning bolt. What do you think?" Seto looked up. " We have to get out of here! We're like a rat in a cage."

And so we followed him out. Into the rain. But it was not any better. Pouring waters clung onto our clothes and our hair. Thunder and lightning threatened to burn us all.

Yue came out for the second time and grabbed Syaoran, jumping out of the way as another bolt hit the ground. Up ahead eight shadows outlined the ever dark sky.

_The child of the Great One must be brought back to the immortal realm..._ There came a voice, and I suddenly saw Pegasus, sitting away in some unknown room, start and grow pale. The vision vanished as a bright glow lighted up behind the spirit beings, and we all saw the black outlines of the cloaked figures, black as the light was white. Squinting, I saw one of the figures lift one hand, up and up, and in my mind saw it stretch out, ready to take Syaoran despite our best efforts.

" Iie!" Seto shouted, and we saw a bright blue light blasting off straight towards the gods. But the gods weren't there. Instead there was a a lady, holding Seto's wrist firm in her grasp.  
" Wuma!" Syaoran cried. " Let go of him!"  
" Healer," was all she said, before Seto released another blue light, forcing her to let go. Zodiac Horse collapsed, holding her bleeding head.  
" Why now?" I heard someone wail. " Why now of all times?" But a burning flame shot towards us and I pushed Ryou out of the way.

" Celtic Guardian!" I heard Yami call. " I summon you!"  
" Curse of Dragon!" Yugi's voice rang out. I looked around. Where is Syaoran? Where is Ryou?

" Oni-chan, iie!" 

I turned to the source of the voice. _Mokuba..._

_The child must be brought back at all costs..._

" Why are you doing this?" I called out, as attacks came from the unseen. " Why do you kill for him?"

_Fool,_ I heard, a deadly chorus of voices, voices of the night. _We do not care for mortals. Humans are but creatures that carry on the force of life. We do not care..._

" Blue Eyes White Dragon! Attack with White Lightning!"

There came a terrible screech, the screech of a creature in pain, and we saw a magnificent golden dragon, with all its glimmering scales, eyes of purest blue, filled with grace and beauty. The white lightning glanced off it as if a shield was protecting it. The Blue Eyes did not recognize any master except Seto Kaiba. None of the monsters do. Only the elves and the magicians.

" Akira!"

I turned around, and found Ryou, trying to reach me. Holding out my hand I caught his and pulled him over.

" We need to find Pegasus."  
" Why Pegasus?" I heard someone yell. " Yah!" And I saw Jou, falling on his back, barely dodging the purple ray.  
" He has the power to control minds." I heard Yue's dark voice answer.

" Oni-chan!"  
" Mokuba!"

Something hot hit my leg and it gave out. I collapsed, still holding on to Ryou.  
" Yami! Are you alright?" He asked.   
" Hai, I'm fine. Urgh!" I tried to get up. Ryou helped me, but I couldn't stand.  
" Try to connect to him through your millenium ring-urgh" It hurted. The pain was almost unbearable. I clung on to Ryou's arms, trying to tell him. " Use your millenium ring. We need Pegasus and Kaho!"

  
  
There are no such things as coincidences. It was not a coincidence that Jou, for the second time, remembered Pegasus and Mizuki Kaho. But by then it was too late. One of the figures grabbed me around the waist. Kicking him with my good leg, I fell to the ground. Hissing in pain, I whipped my head around to see who had grabbed me. 

" Oni-chan!"

Rain poured harder than ever. It battered down upon us like a waterfall, pouring with all its might. Briefly I saw Ryou, in all his heavenly beauty and terror, his white hair damp and gray with water, clinging onto his face and neck. Something bright lighted up his eyes so that they glowed. I gave a cry, trying to tell him to get out. Then there was red, redness all over, and a scream, my own voice screaming, as the snow child's form wavered in all its blood and fell splattering into a puddle of red. 


	21. Chapter 20Yami

Syaoran

Chapter 20-Yami

When Akira screamed I whipped around, and saw Ryou fall into a puddle of blood. I knew who bled. Whirling around, I turned to make sure my aibou was alright. He was scared. He was alone. He was facing one of them.  
" Draw a card!" I shouted at him, dodging a fatal beam as I did so.

Hastily, Yugi drew a card out of a deck. " I summon you!" He shouted, hoping it would work. Out came Gaea the Fierce Knight, and fiercer may he be still, if Yugi was to get past whoever was blocking him. I heard wailing, sobbing, and recognized it as Syaoran, who was horrified, trying to get into the area of battle but was held back by the one who blamed him. Growling, I dodged another one. There were three against me. Do I stand a chance?

Briefly, everything stopped for a minute as I paused to think. I am immortal. I'm pretty much dead. As an experiment I let one hit my arm. Ouch. That hurt, but other than that, there's not much else.

The immortals appeared to be intimidated by my performance, and hesitated for a moment. Before I knew it I had my puzzle out. Under my breath I chanted a spell in the ancient Egyptian language.

Bad move. The earth began to rock very hard. Something came at the back of my head. I felt great pain. And for a while I thought, well, I can't exactly die, but I can fai-

  
  
_" My lord, my greatest apologies," The guard said nervously, " But we caught a...stranger sneaking in the palace grounds."  
" I have no time for this nonsense." I was impatient. I was busy. Don't the guards have eyes?  
" My greatest apologies." The guard repeated nervously again, " What is to be done with him?"  
" Let go of me!" I heard, and then appeared a child, all golden with his amber eyes. " You bastards! Let go!"_

Cocking an eyebrow, I stare at the boy.  
" Are you telling me that this is what made you disturb me?" I asked coldly.

The boy hissed at me and spat, the lowly peasant. " You bastard." He growled, then lunged, but the guards held him back.

I can deal with verbal insults, but not physical ones, and I was in a bad mood.

" He seems to be quite strong." I said to the guard. " Take him to the slave chambers."

  
  
" My lord, I report a scandal from one of the nobles in the western area. They are paying thieves and robbers to steal from the pyramids."  
" Do you know any names?"  
" Yes, my lord. Lord Reshnakt is the noble, and that is the reason he is not here today. He is paying the thieves two hundred golden pieces for each steal. The thieves are Krishna, Senenmut, and Ramnut, and the others we cannot identify."  
" I order you to capture Reshnakt." I said impatiently. " And retrieve the stolen goods."  
" So?" Asked a voice outside the throne, very loud and very clear. The nobles stilled, the scribes stopped writing.  
" I really dare you. Come on, kid! Be a man! Pharoah's not going to find out."  
" First of all, I'm not a man yet, and I don't intend to be one for a long time." Said the first voice. " Second, the Pharoah's having a meeting with the nobles at this hour, and we're outside it!_"_

A hushed silence followed, then a shuffle of feet. Sweet laughter rang out, as footsteps departed.  
" What do you suppose the slaves were planning?" Asked a noble.  
" Whatever it is," I said slowly, " They decided not to do it."

But I was wondering what the voice meant. ' I don't intend to be one for a long time...'

  
  
" Let go of me!" I heard outside my chambers. Listening closely, halting my work, I heard a voice, a rather familiar one, speaking.  
" Punk! Slave! Don't you dare get in my way again!" There was a sound of a blow, and a body falling to the floor.  
" I may be a slave, but I'm certainly not the punk here!"  
" It's time someone taught you some manners!"  
" Enough!" I had opened the door. There was a silence. There was the son of the scribe. And the new slave looked in my direction. The son of the noble paled, bowing.  
" My lord."  
  
The slave didn't say anything, just stared at me for a moment, then, satisfied that I wouldn't do anything to him, left the hallway.  
" Son of Risha." I addressed. " I suggest you do not punish what is not yours."  
  
And that was all it took for him to never bully anyone again.

As soon as the child left I went to the slave quarters.  
" Slaveboy!" I called, having no better name. A couple of slaves turned, including the one I was looking for. He stared at me with doubt and apprehension.

Beckoning to him, I led him out to the gardens. He was reluctant, but my will must be obeyed, in any case.  
" I certainly have never seen a slave so strong willed before, my lad." I said gently. " And strong willed without being offensive."  
" That is about to end." Said the child. " I am no slave."  
  
Stopping abruptly, I looked at him. " Then what do you call a slave?"  
" A slave is one who is souless and heartless, with no mind of his own." The child answered. " One who blindly obeys with or without his will, for he has none left. That I am not. I do not belong to anyone. I belong to myself."

Not knowing whether to be amused or angry, I nodded, walking on, thinking over his words.

" The world is not fair." I said to him. " You must see, my boy."

" Do you know who you are?' He suddenly asked me. And of course, I laughed at the question.   
' I am Bel um Fel, of course! The Pharoah of the Egyptian Lands! The Living Horus! Of course I know who I am!'

But my answer did not seem to satisfy him. ' Are you only the Pharoah and the Living Horus?' It was so bold I was surprised. " Are you only the ruler of Egypt, my lord?'

I was surprised, and also amused. ' Then what are you, my young child? What have you to speak this way to the one who rules you?'  
' I am one of those who made you Pharoah, my lord.' He answered, almost timidly. ' If those like myself do not exist, you would not be pharoah.'  
' What right do you have to be proud of yourself, my child?' I asked. " What brings you such honor?'  
' I know who I am.' He answered very quietly. ' I know who I am and who I was. I will not forget myself. And because I know who I am I know that you are not Horus, living or no. You could have been in my stead should fate have twisted the loom.'

I looked at him for a while and he stared back. I looked deep into those eyes and I realized that those eyes revealed so much to me, but I cannot understand...

  
  
" Oh! You mean that boy, Tarkot?" The maid bustled about her work. " Nice lad, ay, very nice. Didn't mean no harm what he said, only ten years old, my lord. Doesn't understand a thing about slavery, aye. Father's executed of murder seven years ago. Pity! The poor child suffered deeply from it. Later, the plague wiped out virtually everyone he knows! That's why he came here in the first place. Says he doesn't come from around here, somewhere over the northeast, aye!"  
" His name is..."  
" Tarkot. Never knew what his last name is, he didn't know neither. Father's stolen something from the tombs, I'll reckon. The Pharoah put him to death. Child witnessed it-bad, bad thing! Must have traumatized him greatly. He never did like the rich afterwards."

I nodded. " Thank you. Where is he?"  
" Oh, outside with the other slaves."  
" Can you bring him here?"  
" Of course, my lord." The maid bowed. She exited. I sat down, musing for a while. My father had killed a man who looked a little like Tarkot. I was how many years old? Eight? But I knew that man. I turned to my work. So many documents I need to look over, scandals, wills, orders and commands. Sighing, I picked up one.  
" You sent for me, my lord?" I heard a voice. Turning around, I looked at him.

Then I felt puzzled. Why did I send for him?

I saw his eyes staring at the papyrus in my hands. He was obviously squinting for a better look, not knowing he wasn't really allowed to. But he was ten years old.

I shuddered slightly. Ten years old is still a child. By Ra, and he has already suffered so much.

" Do you know how to read, Tarkot?" I asked.

Starting at the name, at first the child didn't know how to respond. Then, warily, he shook his head. No, he did not know how.  
" Come here." I beckoned. Hesitantly, he obeyed. Taking out a new papyrus, I wrote down several letters.

" What is that?" He asked.  
" This is your name, Tarkot." I answered. " Come. Let me show you."

  
  
The boy picked up quickly. Pretty soon he knew how to write his name, several adjectives and nouns. Smiling and for some reason proud, I let him stop. He didn't really want to, but when he looked at me he suddenly seemed to remember something, and blushed a deep red.  
" I'm sorry." He muttered.  
" There's nothing to be sorry about." I told him gently. The documents can wait a bit longer. " You're ten years old. You should learn to write. Especially someone as smart as you are."

This earned me a blush from him. Lowering his eyes timidly, He shifted, not knowing what to do.   
" You can go now." I said gently. He nodded, then left, a little shaky.

  
  
" Really my lord, I do not think it would be wise to teach a slave!" The High Priest protested as I walked down the hallway to my chambers. " He could attempt to escape at that, and who knows, plot against you?"  
" Something tells me he won't. Have you ever looked to him?" I asked. " After all, he could be a child sent from the Field of Reeds. He may even be a son of a god."  
" What makes you think that, my lord?"  
" Well," I paused. " If you ever looked into his eyes," I said finally, " You'll know."  
" That's..." The high priest stumbled over his words and sighed. " But my lord, you have an empire to take care of-why waste time on a little boy?"  
" If you haven't noticed," I began, " He is not a waste of time. I owe him some for the execution of his father."  
" You owe to a slave?" The priest was bewildered. " But he is...a slave!"  
" Not until recently." I answered. " Now, go you to your quarters."  
" But my lord, you aren't going to teach that child again!"  
" What I do in my spare time is of my concern." I answered sternly. " Go you now. I am impatient."

  
  
The young child was of great interest to many, and since I had taken him as my student many people pressed him with questions. He came to the room a little grumpily but still cautious. I let him sit down, careful not to make him think I was cranky as well. I found out very well that he was sensitive.

Before we could begin, the child's strange eyes caught hold of something he shouldn't. It was actually my fault, I should have put it away. Before either of us could stop him, he reached out and touched the deck.

Blinking in confusion, he withdrew his hand, and stared at me, then at the deck. I blinked as well.  
" Do you know what the Shadow Games are?" I asked. He shook his head.

And I began explaining every rule to him.

  
  
" Very good." I was impressed. I was playing lightly, but the child caught the tips fast. Putting our decks away, his the half of mine, I smiled in approval.  
" Did you like it?" I asked.  
" Kind of." Tarkot answered. " I don't think it's interesting though."

Oh well, he was a slave, after all. And slaves are supposedly not intellectuals.

  
  
" My lord!" The High Priest came to my side. " I bring exciting news. We've identified the little one."  
" Tarkot?" I asked.  
" Yes!" The High Priest, for once, seemed very anxious. " Come, my lord! Let us show you. Here," We reached the chamber, in which there was a stone bowl filled with water and powder, bottles of herbs and powder, and a large book.

" Tarkot is no son of a god, my lord," He said to me, " But he does possess magical powers, not that of ours, but of another kind. The gods say that he is able to wield the elements, and his magic is called White Magic. My lord, give me leave to ask, I would like to have him as my apprentice, perhaps, to teach him our craft-"  
" Stop." I silenced him. " If it is as you say," I looked into the bowl of water. " If it is as you say, then you cannot teach him. We weild the same forces of magic. He weilds different ones. You cannot help him."

The priest's face fell noticeably, but I did not care. No one is going to steal my slave away.

" Enough. It is good that you have found this much about him so far. I must return to the meeting." 


	22. Chapter 21Pegasus

Syaoran

Chapter 21-Pegasus

Ryou stayed awake long enough to contact me. When I got there it was a disaster.

Yugi was by his Yami's side, sobbing uncontrollably, while Akira was cradling his light's body, bleeding and writhing with the wounds. Kaiba was the nearest and the most shakened, perhaps. His face was completely pale and his eyes were wide with horror and fright. First kneeling by him, I held his shoulders.

" Everything's going to be alright." I told him. But I didn't think he heard.

There wasn't enough time. Hurriedly I looked around. If Syaoran was captured, than all is lost.

Syaoran was standing there, looking around him, with a faint look of relief in his eyes. He was holding a green staff, intricately carved. He looked weary but very much alive, and very much present. Yue was next to him, holding on to his free wrist. Kero was sprawled on the ground, exhausted.

Satisfied that Syaoran was fine, I checked on the wounded, first checking Kaiba. He received a mortal wound but for some reason it didn't affect him.

" Are you alright?" I asked him.

Like a drunken man dumped in cold water, he snapped out of it, jumping, then looked at me as if I was a monster.  
" They called me Healer." He whispered. " What does that mean?"  
" It means nothing, Kaiba. Just stay calm. I'll go check on the others. What happened?" I demanded.  
" They attacked." Jou answered, breathless. " Tried to get the kid again, but didn't. One of them stabbed Kaiba over there, and then muttered something and withdrew. As soon as you came they all fled.  
" Hai." Anzu agreed.  
" Are you alright?" I asked.  
" Since when did you care?" Honda asked. I had no time for this.

" What happened here?" I bent down, gathering Ryou's body into my arms. Akira yelped and tried to claim him back.  
" What happened here?" I repeated.  
" He...he... He was hit..." Akira choked out. I closed my eyes.   
" He's alive. Don't worry." I told Akira. " Most likely he's going to be in a coma at some hospital. If Syaoran performed that miracle once he could perform it again. Yugi!" I called, leaving Akira and Ryou. " Is he alright? He's alive, what happened?"  
" He's alive?" Yugi wiped his eyes. " Thank goodness! But...but...someone...hit him I think. I don't know who."

I cursed under my breath as I read his mind. " He's dreaming. Not the kind of dreams that are good for him." Lifting the former pharoah up, I suddenly found myself taking command.  
" Hurry over to Kaiba's place! Touya, you go find what you can about these people, and contact Kaho Mizuki! Syaoran, stay put, go with Jou and the mortals. I'll take care of this."

They obeyed without objection, despite the fact that I was supposed to be the enemy, but we all share a common friend, our Li friend over there, and if I was to help Syaoran then, harming and giving trouble to the others won't help much.

  
  
The Pharoah was _not _supposed to remember Tarkot. He's supposed to remember everything else, but _not_ Tarkot-at least that was what the priests deemed. I did not know what went wrong. But he was dreaming, and all of my powers couldn't stop him.

It wasn't the Return Card's fault, that card was safe in the book along with the others in its deck. Nor was it Sleep or Dream, because those two were in the book as well. There was a barrier though, a kind of magical barrier that I couldn't penetrate.

Without the Millenium Eye I am still able to read minds. But I can also control them telepathically. And on Yami, it wasn't working.

His physical body was not harmed badly-a few cuts and wounds here and there, very easy to cure. Ryou, on the other hand, was in grave condition, but we soon took care of that...

Looks like Kaibaboy is more then he seems. The boy did have some useful magic in him after all! He was shakened badly, he didn't know what had happened, and I found that quite interesting. Where is the ' no one messes with Seto Kaiba'? Did Kaiba see something that the rest of us didn't?

The first thing that Kaiba did was rush over to Ryou, who was in bad condition. He placed his fingers against Ryou's forehead...and started to hum. At first I didn't know what he was doing, but before I could read his mind I saw for myself the wounds _sealing_ themselves together. Kaiba's hands were glowing bright white, and he was surrounded with an aura of dark energy. It evaporated and Ryou woke.

I honestly have never seen anything like that in my life. I thought that was the most amazing phenomenon there can be. And then all the information pieced together. Kaiba was a Healer. What is the logical thing that healers do? Well-

Kaiba tried to revive Yami, but he couldn't wake up. After trying several times the poor lad finally gave up. Jounouchi, Honda, Anzu and Syaoran appeared shortly afterwards, carrying Mokuba, who was covered with blood but...it wasn't his own...

Touya came in with Kaho, both carrying an armful of Eriol Hiriingaziwa's books, followed by Kero, in his stuffed animal form, and Yukito, who had...pretty much fainted shortly after Yue transformed.

  
  
" An interesting bundle of news, no doubt. Curious indeed!" Touya had recovered, apparently. " It's a good thing Clow Reed is such a smart man. Now, what happened to Yami, Pegasus?"  
" Some kind of spell." I answered quickly. " I don't know what kind."  
" Very well," Touya looked at me queerly. I looked steadily back.  
" Touya!" Yukito snapped. Touya jerked, then flipped open one of the books.  
" Did you cure them, kaijuu?" He asked.  
" I- " Seto swallowed. I had an urge to say, ' Kaijuu! That's an even better one!' but I didn't say it.  
" Hai." Kaiba nodded. " What did they mean? I didn't know I could do that."  
" We never knew." Kaho said gently. " It says here in Clow's research, that the Healer is an immortal being that cannot be killed by mortal swords or weak magical ones. The Healer is able to cure any kind of physical wound, and is immune against spells. But they can't undo other spells." She said apologetically.

" Which explains why the kaijuu was stabbed and nothing happened to him, and why he was able to physically cure Yami but not wake him up. This is very nice." Touya was bent over the book.

" It's interesting, Akira. Clow's never heard of Millenium Items before. The thing is, he's right above you."  
" Right above..." Akira looked confused.

Touya groaned. " Europe. Egypt. Get the picture?"  
" Ah, hai,"  
" But I have a hunch here. He mentioned dark cards here. He probably did hear of the Shadow Games. Games of Shadow. Never mind. Oh, here is something about the Zodiacs. Each creature has a different power. Listen here. It says here that each zodiac governs one month of every year, one year of every twelve years, one magical element, and one piece of land in the immortal realm. For example, Zodiac Rat, Zishu was his name. Here's a picture." Touya held it up.

Zodiac Rat looked like a zodiac rat. Short fellow with long front teeth and very narrow face with squinty eyes. He had no mustache or beard, his fingers were long and thin, and he was a hunchback.

" Zishu, now, you might think he governs January, but he actually governs February. In this particular month, this fellow is the strongest. We all know what year he governs, whatever. He has the powers of invisibility. Not very impressive. On forward. Here's...the ox, Chouniu," Touya had a queer look on his face.

Chouniu was strong. He looked strong too. A wide face with a square chin, huge flaring nostrils, thick lips, and deep, large and dark colored eyes. He was in fact, very handsome.

" Chouniu governs March, no idea why, and he is...very strong. Commands the powers of life. He's very powerful-he would be tough to beat." Touya looked at Syaoran worriedly. " His piece of land is the plains."  
" Good grief." Syaoran muttered. " Yinhu..."

Yinhu was a female, a graceful looking maiden with sharp glaring eyes, thick eyebrows, and smooth white skin, funny for a tiger. She was tall and her hair was golden, her limbs covered with the cloak that she wore and most of her head covered by her hood. 

" Yinhu is Zodiac Tiger, of course," Touya explained. " She commands April. She's very stealthy and graceful, and commands the spirits of life, unlike the Ox. She's even more powerful than Ox, because we'd...have a ghost problem, if she uses such power."

" Moutu is Zodiac Hare. This one is not impressive either. A woman also, governs May, blah blah blah. Chenlong..." Touya cursed under his breath. " Chenlong is Zodiac Dragon. Most powerful of all zodiacs. He governs June, and rules the entire immortal world. Controls the elements, the sun and moon, as well as the stars. His domain is the sky. Sishe is Zodiac Serpent-she's a cunning one." And she did look cunning. She was tall and her body looked like it could bend in any direction however she wished. " Controls the night. Master of disguise, she could change into anything she wants. She is also able to steal powers from mortal magicians." Touya gave me a weird look. " Also able to read minds. What's wrong with Yami there?"

Stopping, we turned to the sleeping form. Yami was hitting his arm against the sofa.

With a quick scan of his mind I groaned.  
" He met Tarkot." I said. " Tarkot performed some amazing tricks." I groaned again.   
" Tarkot?" Syaoran blinked. " I see. How far is he from the Mind Crush?"  
" About a few weeks away. It just started." I pointed out.  
" Alright," Touya said cautiously, " I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but I'm guessing you know something about Tarkot?"  
" Baka." Syaoran snapped. " I'm his reincarnation. I know everything about Tarkot. I _am_ Tarkot."  
" That's nice." Touya said cautiously yet again. " But...does Yami know?"  
" Iie."  
" Oh..." Yugi blinked. We were silent for a minute.

" Yami will not take this well."  
" I know." Syaoran suddenly fell quiet. " He's taking this far too hard. I was thinking about trying to comfort him somewhat."  
" You can take advantage of his dream over there." Yukito pointed out. " Using the Dream Card."  
" Dream Card?" Syaoran stared at the guardian. " Ano...maybe, but...the thing is, I don't know how to use it."  
" Come along kid," Kero floated up. " Touya, you go on telling the others about the zodiac creeps. Syaoran and Yukito and I will go and try to find some way to use the cards. By the way, you come too, Pegasus. Do you have your cards?"  
" My cards?" I blinked. " Iie, why would I?"  
" Never mind." Syaoran waved it off. " Are you sure about this?" He asked as we went to the other room.

  
  
" I can't do it!" Syaoran sighed. " Are there any side effects?"  
" Side effects?" I blinked.  
" All magic has side effects." Yue explained.   
" Ano...you're not that weak, kid." Kero began a little uncomfortably. " Unless...you faint in his brain."  
" What exactly does the Dream Card do?" Syaoran asked. " Other than make dreams."  
" Puts your soul in the other's body-speaking of which...how do you intend to wake him up if you're in his head?" Kero asked.  
" Speaking of which, why did you ask Pegasus here for his cards?"  
" Reborn the Monster. After all, if you can bring monsters to life, Syaoran..."  
" Ugh!" Syaoran shot up and started pacing. " All this is making my head spin."  
" He knows what you're getting at." I told Kero.

" So you think it would work."   
" Hai."  
" Sakura is _not_ a monster."  
" I know. But I mean..."  
" Then..."  
" Well..."

We fell silent.

" I'm not sure about that Kero."  
" Why? Don't you want them back?"  
" Of course I want them back! It's just that...I mean, if the book doesn't change back..."  
" The book will change back if Sakura takes command."  
" Then what happens to my staff?"  
" The staff? I don't know. You keep it?"  
" But I mean...I mean, if...I don't know why, but I'm having serious doubts about this..."  
" Just do it, kid."

And Syaoran sighed, and lifted the card. 


	23. Chapter 22Yami

Syaoran

Chapter 22-Yami

_" The stones are too big. That's why we have miniature cards."  
" Oh." Tarkot blinked. He looked at the mat and placed a monster down. " Ancient Elf."  
" Fine. I attack-"  
" Hold on." Tarkot giggled nervously. " I have a trap card somewhere, hold it, I need to find it-hehe..."_

I looked at Tarkot and shook my head. " It is just like a child." I began. " Normally we would have remembered."  
" But I'm new at this, remember?" Tarkot said to me shyly. " I can't even read the cards right...and there were magic cards around and trap cards around and I forgot the order. Ah, Negate attack. So you're attack's not here, and I have a magic card somewhere that gives my elf a boost of three hundred points, so your monster is finished, and can you hold on because I need to look at my magic cards so I can remember what I put down?"

I chuckled quietly and waited as the young slave child picked on card after another and looked at it, even reading it to remind himself what the function was, then putting the card face down and picking the next one up and reading it. I waited quite patiently-there was nothing to do that day. I did not want to see aristocrats, because the child was more entertaining.

  
  
For some reason I wanted Tarkot to be more than a peasant, more than a slave. Maybe he can leap from a slave to a noble, if I could make it. However he has no support so I had to wait. In the meantime, I might as well teach him some aspects of noblehood.

But Tarkot wasn't really interested in the game, as always. He treated it as a type of play, and I decided to let it go for now. Tarkot was a child. A smart boy, but a child nonetheless. Tarkot giggled as he relooked at his cards again.

But in the end we tied. Somehow our lifepoints dropped to zero at the same time. Tarkot clapped his hands in delight and dropped his cards while I blinked in surprise. I didn't even try to lose.

  
  
Several hours later I found the boy had finished most of his work and was outside playing. He was trying to catch a dragonfly, and was pouncing on it. Right in front of my eyes I saw him fall into a pond.

Afraid for him, I began to start forward, only to see the little black head appear, and Tarkot blinking his golden eyes, wriggling out and giggling. He coughed a little, sneezed once, and then searched for the dragonfly again. There was a burst of flames and I cried out, but the flames went down as suddenly as they came, and Tarkot hopped out, perfectly dry.  
" What a marvel," Said the High Priest beside me, and I nodded in agreement.

  
  
Tarkot ventured into the town, his hood coverint his face. I held his hand. No one knew we were gone, nor will they know when we return. I looked around.  
" This is your hometown?" I asked softly.  
" Mm." Was his answer.

This place was a slum!

Tarkot looked down and I glanced all around him. Beggars littered the streets. Madmen, drunkards. Hurriedly I pushed Tarkot out of there. Then I appeared in the palace with him. I did not want Tarkot to go back there again. It's time to let his past go.

  
  
One day a stranger came into the palace, armed and slaying the guards that stepped in his way.  
" Who are you, and why are you intruding?" I asked. I was in a better mood that day so I decided not to punish him outright. Although it probably was what I should have done.

" My name is Enmut." Said the young man. " I've come to see Tarkot."

Tarkot just appeared carrying a pile of plates, but dropped them at the sight of the man.  
" Enmut!"  
" You bastard!" Enmut's voice was deadly. " You treacherous bastard!"

Tarkot's eyes were filled with confusion as he stepped back cautiously.  
" You're alive?" He asked softly.  
" What happened to them?" Enmut asked darkly. " What happened to the others? To Dakar, to Raka, to Isis?"

Tarkot's eyes welled up with tears. He didn't say anything.  
" I'm going to kill you, you treacherous bastard! You filthy demon!" Enmut cried, and the tall young man lifted a noble sword, one of the pyramids. " You killed them all! You killed your own mother, your own sisters, your own friends!"  
" He did no such thing." I countered, stepping in the way.  
" I swear, I didn't know!" Tarkot cried. " I didn't know why I didn't get the illness, but-"  
" Then why are you the only one that's alive? Why is it that when I was away in another town, everyone around you perished, while you ran off here, filled with sin, trying to forget your evil deeds as a rich healthy servant in the palace of the living Horus?"

And in his rage the man charged at Tarkot. I tried to stop him, but Tarkot went first.

" Ank shamon!" 

And suddenly before me was a pile of rotten flesh, charred bones, and a sword, pale and gleaming. Blinking in surprise I turned around at Tarkot, who was pale as snow, his golden eyes gleaming and wide in horror, and he stood very still with his hands out before him summoning the first offensive attack that had killed the last of those he knew.

  
  
Sobs.

Closing my eyes I tried to block the heartbreaking sobs out of my mind but I couldn't. Each sob was like a tug at my heart, a will to let me go and comfort him. But the door wouldn't open. Not even to the Pharaoh. Tarkot didn't care about the consequences and he had no reason to either.

So many sobs.

And then...laughter?

Hurriedly I banged on the door. Why was Tarkot laughing? Something told me that it wasn't right. I opened the door, forcing it to, and saw Tarkot on his small bed, tears still pouring out of his eyes but laughing like one of those lunatics in the slumtown. I hurried over to him and tried to silence him, but his laughter turned to sobs again and he buried his head into me. And then he started screaming and shrieking.

Calling upon one of the monsters, my own choice of attendants, I summoned the Dark Magician to my aid. The magician was not use to seeing me with a child and stood there puzzled for a brief moment, before realizing the situation and gently prying the boy away from me, and as soon as the eyes made contact the child stopped crying and his mouth fell open in a silent gasp.

  
  
At first the Dark Magician stared back at him for a minute, a little resentful at the boy's reaction. But I was smiling a little, and was trying to relax, because I was so unbelievably tired. So tired, so tired, so tired-

" Uh-uh-oaw," Tarkot uttered, staring at the Dark Magician in complete shock. Then he poked at the magician's outfit, blinking, shutting his mouth and tilted his head up so he saw the staff. He suddenly reached out to grab it, then yelled, as his hand was slightly burned. I hurried over and rubbed his hand.  
" Don't do that." I warned.

The Dark Magician tilted his head at the boy curiously and I wondered when he will return to card form. When it was apparent that he wouldn't any time soon I sat down to my work and allowed the two to observe each other.

" Pharaoh, these guys are real?" Was Tarkot's young voice, still shaky and hoarse after the sobbing.  
" They're as real as I am." I answered.

There was a moment of silence.  
" What's your name?" Now it was the child again, this time more curious, and he hiccuped.

The Dark Magician looked my way. I didn't look back but I felt it, and I nodded.  
" Omea."

There was a brief silence.

Keep talking._ I thought to the Dark Magician, or rather secretly prayed. _Keep his mind off everything that happened today. Keep talking, or do something, even, even hug him, right, hug him, good heavens!__

" S-Sana!" The boy sobbed, and I heard his voice crack, and suddenly it was muffled. Turning around I saw the Dark Magician was indeed hugging him close his eyes, normally emotionless, were sad.

Sobs. 


	24. Chapter 23Honda

Syaoran

Chapter 22-Honda

The whole stupid thing took a turn for the worse because as Syaoran had pointed out, Sakura ain't a monster, and as could be told by the name, Reborn the Monster couldn't bring her back. ' Course both of Sakura's guardians got upset and Syaoran started crying.

Why does Yue have to be so mean? It ain't Syaoran's fault, you know. Oh, wait, of course you know. You've read the whole darn story so far! So like I said, it wasn't Syaoran's fault, so Yue got no right to treat him like that. Of course, like that guardian would care. He's as stubborn as Jou. But Touya mentioned once that Yue's has no gender.

That's just nuts!

Mokuba and Syaoran went upstairs with Ryou and Seto tried to sort his magic out. Pegasus was on his cell phone with Kaho, who had gone out with a poof. He seemed pretty much upset about something.  
" Iie, he's very much out." Pegasus looked over at Yami. " He's dreaming about his past. Syaoran's not going to touch the cards any time soon, thanks to his guardians." The man shot the two a glare. " So Yami's not going to wake any time soon either. Hai, he's past the point where the Dark Magician appeared, right. The man has a what? Alright. So why are they after him?"

There was a moment of silence as Yami twitched and groaned. Yugi hurriedly tried to comfort him.

" If he's the one then why did he fail?" Pegasus tilted his head. " Sakura's the one? You're getting me all con-fused here...right. So Sakura covers...but if the cards are of no concern then why...? Why are you telling me all this? How is this related?"

" Alf mwa!" Jou cried an incoherent exclamation. " That hurted! What is this thing, some kind of burning tool?"

Seto started laughing and Touya shook his head. It was a bitter laugh, though.  
" Don't touch the lasin board," Touya warned. " It's Syaoran's detecting thing. The only problem is it's linked to him, as well as his blood, so no one can touch it...which really does explain why Meiling could hold it and I can't."

Jou sucked on his finger for a minute to nurse the pain, and then scowled.

" Seto, are you feeling better?" Touya asked.  
" Much." The guy answered. " That was creepy. I wonder what he did."  
" Don't worry about it." Pegasus answered. " It happens all the time when people name others. The only thing is that with you, you don't really know your name, so when he or whoever it was named you you got even more scared then most people."

Seto didn't really like Pegasus and Pegasus wasn't too fond of Seto either, but both managed to keep their feelings to themselves afterwards.

" I see." Pegasus turned the phone off and sat down. " It's good that Kaho could move around easily." He began flatly. " She found out quite a lot. Syaoran has Angel blood."  
" Oh, joy." I muttered. " First we got lions, then tigers, then bears. Oh my!"  
" There's no such thing as a zodiac bear, you baka." Anzu snapped.  
" And now we got Angels. Why are they after him?"  
" I'm getting to that." Pegasus eyed me weirdly. " Children are impatient." He mused briefly, before continuing.  
" There's only about ten angels in the world, I think," Pegasus explained, " Or at least that's what Kaho told me. It was rumored a long time ago..." Here the guy stopped talking briefly. " It was rumored a long time ago that...if ingested...Angel blood can give one power over fate."  
" That's what it says here too." Touya read. " The only problem is, there are rituals. You have to cut...at the left wrist, the right side of the neck...across the stomach, and...across the forehead and cheeks."  
" And you have to drink all of it." Pegasus finished.  
" What have they become. First they were zodiacs, now they are vampires. I don't like magic!" Jou cried.  
" Who does?" Seto answered. He got up. " But of course, this reminds me of another question. Why the heck are Sakura's guardians here? Aren't they dead?"  
" I thought you knew!" Touya blinked. " Ruby Moon and Spinel Sun are connected spiritually with Eriol. That time his soul was destroyed so they were destroyed. Yue and Kero are spiritually connected with the Clow Book. The book isn't destroyed, they were destroyed, but they were capable of coming back. Which Kero and _Yue_ did." He shot Yue a glare. The guardian just ignored it.

I decided that all this talk was giving me a headache and I went upstairs to find Ryou.

  
  
" Come on."  
" I told you I don't want to play." Syaoran sighed as he looked over at his cards. " I can't remember what I put down. Dstststs, dststs, sdststs,dtststsd,"  
" Syaoran, can you tell me about Tarkot?" Mokuba suddenly requested.  
" Why do you want to know about Tarkot?"  
" Because. If you remember everything. It was cool in Egypt, right?"

There was a moment of silence.  
" Let me tell you a story about the Dark Magician." Syaoran put down the cards. Mokuba put down his and listened closely.  
" A long time ago," Syaoran began, " Tarkot met a Dark Magician named Omea. Hai, he did have a name. Omea was the Pharaoh's favorite monster and the two hung out together for some time. One day Tarkot picked up the staff and almost destroyed one of the pillars, so that was when the pharaoh realized that the slaveboy has the power to attack with the magic of the monsters."

He went on for a while. I got bored, so I left. Why is there nothing to do around here? Then I found Ryou.

Now that he mentioned it, I did find it very hard to understand how Yugi and the others could remember what they put down. I mean, sure, I know I put a trap card down, or a magic card face down or something like that, or a monster in defense mode, but it's so hard to remember where it is! Of course, in certain times, I do remember where it is. Must be the Heart of the Cards. But I mean, in times like this, when Ryou and I were playing a game for fun, I mean, you see Yami's Celtic Guardian or Dark Magician being attacked by some weird thing like...like the Summoned Skull or something, and then you see Yami say, " Not so fast! I have a Trap Card!" And he flips the card over and it is _the exact card he wants._

How the heck do they do that?

  
  
Hehe, I remember that time when Syaoran first started play, right? Whenever Yugi put down a card, some monster or something, or a magic card, or when he flips a card face up, Syaoran had to take the card over and read what it says-and reading got somehow harder for him for some reason. But at least he got the idea.

  
  
Alright. You're thinking, _Honda's crazy. This is a serious situation here, and here he is goofing around like Jounouchi._ Alright, I get the point. But you know, I really don't understand all this magic stuff. The thing's all for Syaoran, Seto, Pegasus, Yugi and Ryou, and Ryou, since he has that Yami Bakura or Akira or whoever that guy is with him; Akira ain't especially interested in anything other than Ryou and whoever is linked to the game and Syaoran ain't technically in it. And why is Syaoran playing a game with Mokuba? Mostly because the youngster forced him to. Mokuba's just like his brother. Very intelligent.

  
  
Unlike Anzu.

  
  
( Don't tell her that.)

  
  
" He's going to relive the whole thing, isn't he?" Syaoran asked, staring at Yami, who was still mumbling Egyptian phrases. " And it wasn't the Return Card, that's for sure, because it's right here. Are you sure you couldn't find any spells?"

Kaho, who had appeared out of nowhere, shook her head solemnly.  
" I'm sorry Syaoran." She said gravely. " But you might want to ease some of the pain with the Dream Card."

Syaoran turned to look at Yue. At first the guardian stared back, but then he flinched and raised his eyebrows at Syaoran, as if realizing something.  
" Why are you asking me?" Yue asked uncertainly. Syaoran just looked down.  
" Is it that hard to figure out?" I asked flatly. " You totally scared the kid. And you hurted him. And you're asking _that?_"  
" Just do it, good heavens." Pegasus suddenly spoke. " If Yue gets angry I'll handle him. I know a few spells for _guardians._"

His voice was filled with silent venom and it startled Yue and Syaoran, but Syaoran obeyed, taking the Dream Card, which transformed, and he muttered something in Chinese.  
"_ Mengka, dai wo dao Yami de meng." _He whispered. And in a flash he suddenly toppled over and Pegasus caught him.

There was a flash at Yami's body and Yami jerked. He didn't wake though. Syaoran opened his eyes.

" There's some kind of magical barrier." He said mournfully. " I can't get through."  
" What the heck?" Touya blinked. Kero fluttered over.   
" Are you sure kid?" The little guy asked quietly.  
" I'm sure." Syaoran answered flatly. " I'm so sure that I have a bump on my elbow to prove it."

Well, there was the bump alright, and that was proof enough. What Kero couldn't get now, was how the bump got there.

Somehow Syaoran had the nerve to be annoyed with Kero and Yue. I guess he was tired of feeling guilty and was now really angry at them, or something like that, I cannot tell. Or maybe it was Yami, since he _was_ dreaming about him, and according to Yugi's summaries their relationship wasn't great.

But what am I to say? I'm only an onlooker.

  
  
Touya was still looking through his books when Pegasus looked up.  
" I guess I must have fallen asleep with Yami." The guy mumbled. " But what a dream I had! I'm pretty sure it's a prophetic one."  
" Oh?" Touya blinked. " What's it about?"  
" First of all," Pegasus's voice became rather cold and flat, " Sakura's not going to come back no matter what you do, because quite frankly she's out of the picture. At least that's what the Fate's told me. Second, if you want to help Syaoran, you need to get rid of the zodiacs, but that's not enough. The Zodiacs aren't the only ones looking for him. Guess who is."

He said it so flatly it was almost unlike him, but Pegasus changed significantly ever since Syaoran came.  
" Who?" Touya asked.  
" The Monsters."  
" The Monsters!" Touya cried. " That's ludicrous."  
" Tell that to the Fates." Pegasus stood up. " And one in particular."  
" Let me guess. The Blue Eyes White Dragon."  
" Don't make fun of him." Pegasus snapped, ' him' being Seto. " And iie, it's not the Blue Eyes White Dragon. In fact, it's Yugi's."  
" The Dark Magician?"  
" Hai."  
" You've got to be kidding me!"  
" They've got to be kidding us! But what am I to say? If the Dark Magician wants Syaoran, than you get a card named...Half Angel."  
" Nani?" Touya blinked. " So wait, why do the Monsters want Syaoran?"  
" Simple." Syaoran rolled his eyes. " As Tarkot," He kicked the couch where Yami was sleeping, " The Dark Magician was summoned to stop-" He kicked again " him from crying. And quite frankly, what blossomed between Tarkot and the Dark Magician is _sweet, brotherly-" _another kick " _love."_

Why was the little guy kicking at Yami's couch? I don't know. He seemed angry all of the sudden, as if that spell had infuriated him.

Touya and Pegasus studied the suddenly angry boy and looked at each other, and a glance of knowing flicked between them.  
" Syaoran, you should rest a little." Pegasus began.

Syaoran sighed, and...disappeared.

The ones in the circle of Clow looked at each other.  
" Ano..." Pegasus began, " How did he do that?" 


	25. Chapter 24Mokuba

Syaoran

Chapter 24-Mokuba

There's a Chinese philosophy, and if it isn't just Chinese, then be content that the Chinese do know it, and do not judge it because it's Chinese. There's a Chinese philosophy about perfection. It states that a perfect man is neither left or right, but exactly on the middle. And what Syaoran means by that, is that the man is not too rich and happy, so as to make others envious, nor poor and sad, to make others pity or scorn. The man must not be too smart, so that others feel threatened, nor too dumb, so that others despise him. And a man must not be too mean, so that others are afraid of him, or too soft, so that others take advantage of him.

Of course, the philosophy itself was so general that there were much more specifics to it, but just these are hard to accomplish. Julius Caesar was beloved ball all plesbians, but hated by all nobles because he was too powerful. Snow White was hated by her stepmother because she was too beautiful. ShiHwangdi was hated by all his subjects because he was too cruel. And undoubtedly, George Washington also had some enemies, but the textbooks don't mention it. Why mention personal relationships?

So as Syaoran had said, there never was anyone, mortal or immortal, who was capable of being right in the middle.

  
  
We waited anxiously for Yami to wake up but the old spirit wouldn't. Pegasus and those related to Clow Reed were not surprised.  
" He's jealous of the Dark Magician now." Pegasus muttered.  
" The guy's jealous of his own monster?" Touya blinked. " Weird."  
" He's a five thousand year old Pharaoh." Kaho pointed out.

I didn't understand what they meant when they said that Yami was jealous of the Dark Magician. Isn't the Dark Magician just a card? But then that night the Dark Magician did help us, unless it wasn't he, so I do not know. I thought that time that Syaoran was just making up stories.

The story that Honda refused to listen to was an interesting one. Syaoran was looking at each card because he happened to like the drawings, while telling me the story.  
" So Tarkot and the Dark Magician spent more time together afterwards," Syaoran continued. " The Pharaoh was greatly unhappy. After all, he did want Tarkot to leap from a slave to a noble, and that wasn't the way. But it's his Dark Magician that was getting in the way here, and the Pharaoh knew full well that without his monsters he wouldn't be anything. That time was the beginning of the Shadow Games-it didn't last long because it was too perilous, as I told you before."

" Now, the Dark Magician was created by a man named Thutmose, and iie, he's not a pharaoh. Thutmose was actually a shaman, who had created the tablet by accident when he mixed two ' chemicals' together and it got into the stone. Of course, that tablet was immediately sent to the Pharaoh, Yami's great grandfather, and was passed down ever since. So the Dark Magician was much older than Yami was, and I daresay quite fond of children. So was Yami, but Yami was a lot darker that time."

" So the end result was that there was this weird triangle, and iie, not some lousy normal love triangle that you see in movies and TV shows. This is a _real_ triangle. You have the Pharaoh torn between caring for Tarkot and caring for the Dark Magician and hating both of them, you have the Dark Magician torn between the loyalty to his master and the loyalty to his new found friend, and finally you have Tarkot torn between listening to the Dark Magician's warnings or letting the Pharaoh live a short, but dignified life. You'll see."

" So is this the place where Tarkot challenged Yami?" I asked.  
" Not quite." Syaoran answered. " Tarkot challenged Yami for several reasons. The first reason happened some time after the council of the fifteen Magicians, which you wouldn't have to know because that is not important. _I _certainly don't know what it's about. But it wasn't too important because the High Priest challenged Yami into a duel."

" That time the Dark Magician told Tarkot that the Shadow Games would be the end of the world, and if nothing goes wrong, the monsters will flood into this world. The Dark Magician was quite fond of Tarkot, and didn't want him to suffer like the rest of the humans will, and so told him. The mage knew that Tarkot would do something about it but wasn't too upset, since the Shadow World was no worse off than in the real world. But the monsters, as you can imagine, were tired of being thrown and ordered around. So they were planning a rebellion."

" So when the High Priest challenged Yami Tarkot immediately sensed danger. He told Yami that there was something about this game that wasn't right and he did not want Yami to go. Well you can't expect the Pharaoh to listen to _that!_ And Tarkot was a slave. So Yami gave Tarkot a good scolding, and went off, and if it hadn't been for Tarkot commanding the Dark Magician to turn up when Yami sorely needed it, Yami would have lost. So came this nonsense about the Heart of the Cards, which works and tricks the mind. But in reality, monsters come and go as they will. If they like the master, they serve him or her well. There's no such thing as the Heart of the Cards. It's all mindplay!"

" Well, Yami took the credit to himself, naturally because Tarkot never revealed his little plot. And at that point Tarkot wanted to save Yami and began to practice. He practiced against himself at first, and then he unlocked keys and plots, and began to play with the servants, who knew a little more of the game than he did. Then he began to play against the scribes, and finally against Yami, only play, of course, but he realized that Yami wasn't playing at his best. So he began to get more scores, so as to encourage Yami to lift up his expectations."

" Yami thought that his little ' dream' would come true and Tarkot might have a chance, and to Tarkot's delight he did become more strict. When finally Tarkot felt he was ready, he challenged Yami to a duel."

" Well that didn't work! Yami won, it was rather close. I can't remember the actual score, but his Majesty won and that was all that matters. Of course, Yami got really angry at the fact that he was challenged by a mere slave, so there was more than just a lost cause as a punishment."

" Did he really whip Tarkot?"  
" Well, if that makes you think less of him," Syaoran paused for a moment. " Don't let it. Because that's basically what Pharaoh's do. You have to understand that when you're leading a country, and the lives of thousands of commoners, nobles, and slaves are held in your hand, you cannot settle for morality to those who seem to betray you. What Tarkot did was a type of rebellion. Pharaoh's cannot just let it go away! If the country, first of all, falls into the wrong hands, the entire kingdom can die. And besides, if Tarkot was not as naive as he was, he probably could kill Yami once he got the position, so there was no threat. Because what Tarkot did was challenge Yami's position. He could very well be Pharaoh once he won. So hai, Yami did whip Tarkot, did lock him up in a dungeon, did abuse him. You don't need to know how that is, Mokuba." Syaoran paused for a while.

" But all this time I've never heard of Millenium Items." I muttered.  
" Oh, the Millenium Items!" Syaoran laughed. " Now that's a different story altogether, and that was not part of our history."

I blinked. Syaoran sighed.  
" It really wasn't his fault." He said. " Tarkot challenged him _right in the middle of the council,_ but it was out of necessity. The Pharaoh was to leave right after and Tarkot would have had no time. Of course, the Pharaoh had to protect his dignity, and he came quite close to losing it. Imagine, nearly beaten by a slave! So Yami was very shakened. You can't blame him."

I decided not to go into the duel itself, and it was well that I didn't, because Syaoran seemed to be upset at the recollection, and he went downstairs in a bad mood.

" He's going to relive the whole thing, isn't he?"

  
  
Jou came in drinking soda the next morning. Yami wasn't waking up and we wondered how long it will last. Seto was talking quietly with Touya and Pegasus with Syaoran, and there was some words I could catch.  
" Don't call me Syao-chan, ever." Syaoran warned. And I wondered, what's wrong with Syao-chan?

There was something that came up from the ground, and curled around Syaoran's left wrist.  
" Ack!" Syaoran tugged. " What's this?"

It was a chain.

" Oh dear." Pegasus came and inspected the shackle. Then he turned to Yami.

" I think he did that." Pegasus pointed to Yami, well, not pointed exactly, but waved a little at him. Not waved, even. I don't know what he did.  
" He got there already?" Syaoran asked weakly. Yami suddenly began to toss and turn, and the shackle began to sizzle. Syaoran screamed.  
" It's getting tighter!" He cried.

Yue hurried over. It was the first act of kindness he had ever done openly. He touched the shackle and a blue aura wavered over it.

Syaoran was very nervous and edgy. Yue tried to open it.  
" Use the Lock Card." He finally said.

Syaoran blinked, then hesitantly obeyed. The shackle opened, and Yami thrashed harder. Yugi tried to comfort him but it was of no use.

Syaoran rubbed his wrist and went over to Yami's side. Yami instantly reached into Syaoran's direction, but Li immediately stepped back.

" Ano..." Seto began, " I think Yami wants you."  
" What if he wants to kill me, like he did before?" Syaoran asked.  
" Oh..." Pegasus blinked. " He's past that. It's morning. You were brought before him."

We all turned to Pegasus.  
" Nani?" Pegasus blinked. " Why are you all looking at me like that?"  
" Pegasus, darling." Kaho answered. " You do freak anyone out sometimes."  
" Ah." Pegasus smirked.

Syaoran ignored us then and advanced hesitantly towards Yami. Yami lunged at him but was held back by Yugi and Jou. Syaoran took a deep breath and pressed on. This time, Yami caught him and Syaoran lost his balance, his legs sliding from under him and he fell on top of Yami.  
" Someone help!" He cried. " I can't get up. He won't let me go!"  
" Don't try." Akira suddenly spoke. " Try, and Yami will squeeze Syaoran to death. He needs reassurance right now."

And Yami did. Because the ancient spirit of a Pharaoh was crying.

  
  
After some hours Syaoran had managed to sit up, but not without pulling Yami into his arms, because Yami wouldn't let him go and had him in a death grip. So Syaoran had to settle with having Yami in his arms, while trying his best to listen to whatever Kaho and Touya were saying.

It wasn't much. We couldn't do anything without Yami, because Yami has the most power out of all the millenium holders. Yue left as Yukito because he couldn't stand waiting any longer, and Kero followed. I think they were unable to face Syaoran. Akira, Ryou, Yugi, Jou, Anzu and Honda were trying to assemble the Duel Monsters Cards upon Touya and Kaho's request. The cards must be in a circle, they say, so that they can use each monster's powers, and each magical spell, to create an ultamite spell.

I looked at Syaoran, with Yami in his arms.

" Poor Yami." I said.  
" Hai." Syaoran agreed. " In truth, he did try to kill me. Could have had it not been for the Dark Magician. I guess I forgot a few parts, because I was brought before him in the morning."

I could tell by Yami's face, his eyes squeezing shut, his body wrecked with sobs, that Tarkot must have been in a terrible shape indeed. 


	26. Chapter 25Yami

Syaoran

Chapter 25-Yami

_ I froze._

Tarkot was as pale as moonlight, his black hair covering his face, dripping with blood. All over his clothes his blood soaked in, and they were all torn to shreds. Tarkot was on his knees, his arms held up by the two guards. He did not raise his head at my presence.

I was not going to show my weakness for a slave, but inside my heart clenched. What have I done?

All the thoughts were forgotten. The humiliation. The offense. The whole duel. The crime and betrayal. Gone was the anger, the rage of blown pride. I only knew that I had done something terrible, but at first I couldn't grasp it. It wasn't until the next morning when I realized what I did.

By this time, Tarkot had been here for almost two years. He knew me well, and did not come near me again. I wasn't about to apologize to a slave, but not doing it made me feel ill at ease. For some time I did not see Tarkot again, and the Dark Magician never appeared at my command.

I found this strange, but since there was no more duels for a long time the nobles and I began working on the Millenium Items. They are to be filled with Shadow Magic, and wrought out of the finest, purest gold.

Tarkot approached me again. This time he had changed. No longer was he the innocent child that I once knew. His back and arms were lined with scars. At first he tried to tell me that the Millenium Items were of no use.

" Nonsense!" I cried. " Out with you, slave. These are matters beyond your comprehension."  
" Oh, but they are not." Tarkot said, his voice lining with venom. " I know well what you will do. And one of those very items will trap your soul within, and you will never become the dead Osiris. Your name shall be forgotten, your body erased, never to be buried. If you do not heed my warnings, doom shall befall you."

I laughed at his face. Then I ordered him away. I was not going to make the mistake of hurting him again, but I wasn't going to humiliate myself by listening to him.

  
  
A year passed. Tarkot turned thirteen on the very day he dissembled the puzzle that was nearly finished. He hid the pieces away. I grew angry but decided not to tell the nobles who had done it. I did not want to make the same mistake again.

We found the pieces, but the last piece was destroyed, probably by Tarkot. I did not ask him. No need to feed my anger.

Several months passed when in the throne room Tarkot ventured in boldly once again. This time he looked terrifying. His eyes were golden and they glowed with power, and his black hair framed his face so he looked like a demon. He challenged me.  
" Whoever wins, shall request or punish what they will of another." He said. I laughed again. I did not want to do this. But he drew out a sword.

The nobles gasped. One of the generals jumped to my aid. Tarkot wasted no time in slicing off his head. He held the bloody sword high in the air.  
" Anyone else wish to defy me?" I swallowed at his words. So bold for a slave. Tarkot was one who was born in the wrong body. He should be meant to do great things. He has done great things.

" It will be done as you wish." I stood up, trying to appear amused and yet offended. I was scared. I was afraid for the child. I was afraid for my dignity.

  
  
Tarkot held his face high at his loss. He had every reason to be proud. I barely won and I was not proud of my victory. In fact I was relieved and shakened.

Perhaps that was why.  
" Take him to the dungeons." I ordered. " Five hundred lashes!"

Five hundred lashes quickly became a thousand. I did not hear any screams. I did not hear any pleadings. I went back to my quarters to nurse my fear.

" That was a close game." Said one of the servants. " For a slave anyway. How did he get to be so good? Is he one of those princes that was enslaved?"  
" Maybe." Said another. " He's quite terrifying. One would think he'd still have magic, but all know that slaves don't."

I swallowed and listened on.  
" To think, only thirteen years old, and he challenged the Pharaoh twice." Said the third. " He must of done something with the puzzle pieces too, but the Pharaoh was nice enough not to mention it. The kid brought this on himself."  
" Ay." Answered the first. " No doubt about it."

Somehow I thought that was a lie.

  
  
I was walking down the hallway when I heard voices.  
" He's doomed." I heard Tarkot's voice. " I couldn't save him."  
" We didn't expect you to."

Was that Akira? How did he get into the palace?  
" He's a very good man." Tarkot answered. " He never wanted to do anything wrong."  
" This is not wrong?" I heard a sound of cloth. " Look at you. Your skin is marred."  
" They'll heal."  
" But you've endured a lot of pain."  
" I shan't any longer. It's not worth it. I do not want to see the pharaoh suffer. Yet I know he will. The Shadow Games would be the end of him. I want to die before that."  
" How long does he have?"  
" Half a year."  
" That's plenty of time to warn him."  
" He would not listen to a slave. They are working on that last piece of the puzzle. Luckily I disassembled six of the pieces. But they'll find them, like they always do."  
" Didn't you melt it?"  
" The last piece was too hard, it took nearly all of my energy."  
" Well, maybe you can do another one."  
" I can't Akira." Tarkot whispered. " I am weary. I do not wish to follow a lost cause. I should have known I cannot accomplish anything."

And then there was silence.

  
" Get him!" Cried a guard outside. I woke up and blinked.   
" Let go of me!" I heard a boy cry, and there was sobbing. I quickly dressed.  
" Take him into the palace. He's one of the slaves."  
" Isn't he the one that challenged the pharaoh?"  
" Ay, the idiot one." Answered the first guard.  
" Throw him in the dungeon." Said a noble. And Tarkot was.

  
Slaves ran about.  
" There's a kid who fainted!" They cried. I turned around. Who fainted?  
" A slave, I heard. Name's...Tar somethin." Said one.  
" Poor guy." Said another.

Instantly I felt something cold tug at my heart. I hurried to the slave quarters. The slaves moved aside for me and I opened the door to Tarkot's room.

It was small. It only consisted of a badly made bed and a small cabinet, nothing else. Tarkot was lying on the bed, his face delirious.  
" He wouldn't listen." He mumbled. " Mama, he wouldn't listen. Tried to, tried to,"  
" Tarkot, Tarkot!" I shook him. Tarkot just turned the other way, mumbling and sobbing, crystal tears rolling down his cheeks. " He wouldn't listen to me. I couldn't win against him. I lost. I'm a failure."  
" Tarkot!" I shook him again.  
" Mama, the palace was a good place." All of the sudden the words changed. " People work hard but it was a beautiful place. The Pharaoh was a good man. It's a pity he is fated so."  
" T-Tarkot?" I blinked.  
" Papa, you would have loved this place..." Tarkot muttered. " Everything was of marble, just the way you liked it. And there was always something going on. You loved excitement, remember?"  
" Tarkot, stop this, please,"  
" Shaknet, you could have been one of the singers. The singers get good food and clothes. They wear gold, and you can sing for the Pharaoh. You and Sakto. Janmose, you could be a soldier..." The boy rambled on.  
" Enmut." Tarkot suddenly started to tremble. " Enmut, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to abandon anyone. It's just that I was so scared. I was so scared and so alone. I'm so sorry..."  
" Tarkot..."  
" I just wish that everything could have worked out. But Ra is waiting for me." Tarkot opened his eyes. " Ra is waiting for me. He is setting into the world of the Dead."  
" Tarkot, Tarkot, No! Tarkot, please tell me everything. I'll listen this time. Tarkot!" I felt I was losing him, and not caring if anyone saw me I grabbed his shoulders and sobbed. " Tarkot! No, no, please don't go. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Tarkot, I'm so sorry for everything. I'm so sorry for not listening to you, for yelling at you, for punishing you, please, forgive me!"

Tarkot did not hear me. Instead he looked at me with the fading golden eyes, and before he could speak he stopped breathing.

  
  
I was bitter. Tarkot received a proper burial, as much as I could manage. I sent some jewelry into the pyramid. He was to lie right by my side. He had tried; that was the point of it all. He tried to help me. Whether or not he did it did not matter.

Seven days later, almost a week after the funeral, which was held in secret, the week being complete in three more days, the puzzle was finished. The nobles immediately challenged me, and I realized why Tarkot had told me the Shadow Games will be my doom. For the monsters revolted against me and I lost. The nobles overthrew me. They sentenced me to eternity in the Millenium Puzzle.

Even as my soul was ripped from my body I was silently laughing. What a fool I had been. For two whole years Tarkot had done nothing except try to warn me of my peril. Two years, and he had done everything possible-challenge me, warn me directly, try to destroy the peril. And in those two years I have done nothing except ignore him and punish him for trying to help me simply because I was trying to save my dignity. I even killed him.

How could he forgive me? Of course he couldn't. It was clear that he never will. And as I was surrounded in the black darkness of the Millenium Puzzle I laughed out loud so all that bothers can hear.

" I deserved it." I said. " I deserved it all." 


	27. Chapter 26Akira

Syaoran

Chapter 26-Akira

" He's going to go mad." Pegasus said quietly. " He's waking up pretty soon."  
" He'll go crazy." I agreed. " What can we do to help him?"  
" Well, we have the cards, we have the magicians." Seto stood up.  
" Hey, why don't we just let Syaoran transform into Tarkot or somethin?" Jou asked. " I mean, he's his reincarnation, after all."  
" You baka." Anzu scolded. " Just because Syaoran's Tarkot's reincarnation doesn't mean he can just switch back and forth like Yami and Yugi!"  
" Well," Syaoran came to Jou's defense, surprisingly, " I can, sort of, if what I think works, but first of all I don't know if Tarkot knows Japanese, and second," He suddenly blushed. " If you see Tarkot you'll think I'm cute. I'm not very sure it's a good idea. Also, Yami might not react the way you want him to."  
" Tarkot might not react the way you want him to either." Pegasus pointed out. " But I think it would be good for the little Pharaoh. The only thing that's haunting him now is that he thinks Tarkot is mad at him and that's why he died. If we can somehow show him that Tarkot forgives him, which I'm sure he does because Syaoran is, then it will be very good for him."  
" It's worth a try." Syaoran looked at Anzu. " Never underestimate Jounouchi. He comes up with the strangest ideas. And they sometimes work."

We laughed, despite the situation.

  
  
" Okay..." Jou blinked. " Now first of all, you're tellin me that you don't really like this idea, and then you're sayin that you don't know how to do it?"

Syaoran ignored Yue's glare. " I can use the Return Card, although it will take a lot of energy, and all this switching of souls is mostly the items' job. I have no idea where to begin. We could use some Egyptian item, like Ryou's ring. A piece of it, at least. But I don't know how it will affect Akira. For all I know he might be trapped in there again."

I didn't really like that but since it was for Tarkot, we took off one of the pieces. Nothing happened.

" Well, that's a good start." Syaoran sighed, holding the small pyramid. " I can place this in the center. The Return Card over here...the Time Machine over here, and...The Book of Spells, or whatever it's called," Syaoran arranged the cards, " And the Time Card here. I just hope this works.

_Hui shi shu muo,  
Hui dao Ta Ke-"_

It was all it needed really, and there was a surrounding flash. We all covered our eyes at the light. When it finally dimmed we looked cautiously, hoping that the spell was right.

Syaoran was smart and he had a logical mind. What stood before us _was_ Tarkot. But now that I looked at him again at this time I realized that Syaoran was right. 

Tarkot was a pale fellow. He was older than Syaoran, the age that he died, which was thirteen. He had longer hair than Syaoran, all the way down to his shoulders, but it was in a short hair style so he still had a boyish look. He was not cute at all. There was nothing cute about him. He did not have any baby fat around his cheeks or the soft smoothness that Syaoran had around his face. Instead his features were sharp and well defined, his eyebrows thick and his golden eyes gleaming, giving him a dark and fierce impression that I suppose all of us Millenium Spirits have. He was rather tall for his age and his frame was thin, with strong hands and long legs. He was dressed in white, a slave's attire, with a bundle of cloth on his left shoulder, with a long flowing capelike thing that covered his left arm. It was part of the cape along the back, which gathered into wrinkly cloth that was tied back to the knot. He had a belt of white cloth that was limp and loose, and ended with a knot that was attached to more cloth with beads on them, and it was flapping loose around his legs.

No. Tarkot was not cute. But he was a handsome child.

" Akira." He called. " Where am I?" 

I started. How long had I last heard Egyptian words?

" You are in the land without Kings." I told him. " In the future, in the body of your reincarnation."  
" Reincarnation." Tarkot answered. " Egyptian stories do not speak of reincarnation."  
" And yet they are."  
" How did I get here?"  
" Your reincarnation summoned you."  
" Why?"

I hesitated.  
" Remember what happened before you came?" I asked.

Tarkot was silent for a moment.   
" Yes." He answered. " The Pharaoh was at my bedside. As were all that I knew."  
" You died." I told him. " The Pharaoh was hurt with guilt."  
" As he should be." Tarkot answered. " What happened to him?"  
" It was exactly as you foretold." I said after a moment's pause. " The Shadow Games helped him to his doom."  
" And the puzzle?"  
" He is now the spirit."

Tarkot looked at the others. " Who are they?"  
" They are friends of the Pharaoh's half reincarnation."

Tarkot's gaze lingered upon Yue and Kero. The two guardians shifted uneasily. They both knew that Tarkot was not someone to be messed with...anymore.  
" And those two?" He asked.  
" Those are the guardians of your reincarnation."

Tarkot held the eyes of the guardians for a long time.  
" You still did not answer the question." Tarkot said finally. " Why am I here?"  
" The Pharaoh is in pain." I answered quietly. " He needs what comfort you may give."  
" And why do you suppose I should comfort him?"  
" Because I know you well."

At this point I realized I did not just meet Tarkot once. I was actually friends with him. Tarkot's eyes lingered on Ryou.  
" You, too, are the spirit within an item." He looked at the ring. " The Millenium Ring."  
" The Pharaoh condemned me." I said quietly. And all of this was said in Egyptian.

Tarkot was silent for a long moment before asking, " Where is he now?"

We led Tarkot into the room where Yami was. Yami was awake, fully, and was crying into Yugi's shoulder, his sobs and wails filled with regret and horror. At the sight of the Pharaoh, thus weakened, I instinctively felt distaste for him. So weak. So fragile. But I quickly suppressed this feeling. He had done great wrong and suffered great pain. And pain can weaken anyone.

Tarkot watched Yami and studied Yugi, who gasped silently and stared at Tarkot, wondering what happened. Of course he wasn't Syaoran. 

Yami turned his head, as if aware of our presence, and froze at the sight of Tarkot. His face turned several shades of white and he gaped like a choking fish, unable to comprehend at first. I wondered if we had made a mistake, but Tarkot was quick, and just as Yami let out an anguished shriek Tarkot had rushed to him and wrapped his arms around him, holding him in a warm embrace.

Yami couldn't speak at first and could only sob helplessly, but soon I heard Egyptian words.  
" I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-"  
" There's nothing to be sorry about." Tarkot answered gently. " Don't cry, Pharaoh. I'm not angry. I was only a slave, after all." Tarkot chuckled sadly.

Yami Yugi withdrew sharply out of the embrace and glared at him through his tears.  
" Don't ever say that." He snapped, then sniffled. Tarkot smiled.  
" I have no idea what you got yourself into at this time." Tarkot answered. " But I do know that your life isn't as bad as I was afraid it would be. That is enough to make me content."

Yami just looked at him bitterly. " Then why did you leave me?" He asked quietly.

Tarkot paused at this question. I hoped he would give the right answer.

He didn't answer. Instead he wrapped his arms around Yami again and buried his head into Yami's shoulder. Yami understood and blinked his tears away, returning Tarkot's embrace. But he held him tightly, and when I looked in the Pharaoh's eyes I saw that they were full of despair.

  
  
  
Tarkot stayed with us for a while because we didn't know how to call Syaoran back again. He never learned Japanese but he knew who the people were and could guess what they were saying. He disliked Yue and Kero and really liked Seto. He didn't like snow, which was quite cute of him, so he was never accepting when it came to refrigerators.

Out of all of us he was still the youngest, other than Mokuba, who Tarkot also spends most of his time with, and I got constantly freaked because Tarkot was so much like Syaoran.

One day Tarkot found the Syaoran cards and to our surprise was very interested in them, not knowing that they are the source of Syaoran's despair. He laughed at the pictures with delight.

Then he placed them in a mysterious order, without any Duel Monsters cards, and what should stand before us but Li Syaoran.

  
  



	28. Chapter 27Pegasus

Syaoran

Chapter 27-Pegasus

The remaining zodiacs attacked us three days after Syaoran came back. This time they weren't attacking Syaoran. Ruthlessly they threw blows at Seto, who is their new enemy and stood in their way.

Seto was not well trained in his magic and could not fight off the blows. Two of the Blue Eyes White Dragons were summoned unexpectedly and attacked the zodiacs, forcing them back a little. But they advanced again. 

Seto did not know what to do and as I was the nearest he ran towards me. I immediately knew that was a bad idea, because I could not stand up to the zodiacs. I only had the power of mind!

Power of mind? Well, that was what suddenly occurred to me then, so I tried to locate the mind of Zodiac Dragon. I got Zodiac Tiger instead.

Touya forgot to mention that Zodiac Hare has the power to control minds as well. But Zodiac Hare was destroyed. So the powers went to one of the remaining ones. Which happened to be Zodiac Tiger.

I didn't know how it happened, but the spell reverted towards Seto. And Seto crumbled down right into my arms before I could do anything. Then the Zodiacs started attacking Syaoran.

Syaoran wanted to surrender. Yue wouldn't let him. The zodiacs saw that Yue was a threat too, and started attacking him. That was when we saw Syaoran use his cards as an offensive, and pretty much in a different way then Sakura.

" Shadow! Fire! Wind and Rain! Release and Dispel!" He cried, and we were blinded by a flash of light...

  
  
When we finally were able to see again Syaoran was fighting against the Zodiac Snake, Sishe. She was using a long ribbon like whip for her weapon and Syaoran weaved gracefully through it. They were evenly matched.

Yue raised his hand and thousands of crystals shot out, sparkling in the light. He flapped his great wings and dodged the deflected crystals, but Zodiac Ox was slightly wounded. It didn't matter though. He could withstand a lot. He fired the earthen energy at Yue.

Something blocked it. What it was I cannot tell, but a shadow leaped into the air in front of Yue and blocked it. Yue whirled around in surprise, and suddenly there was a great explosion.

  
  
" What should we do?" Yami cried. " They have Syaoran now!"  
" He just slipped through my grip." Kero explained to Yue, who was greatly distressed. " He saw you being attacked and he just slipped through my eyes right there. I couldn't hold him back."  
" Do you think that would kill him?" Ryou asked timidly.  
" It shouldn't." I answered. " He's protected with the blood of Angels."  
" Well, at least that Angel blood finally worked in our favor." Jou sniffed. " But where are the zodiacs anyways?"  
" Well, we need Seto." Touya looked over at Seto, who was mumbling. " First of all, before you go on, _what the heck happened?_"  
" I was trying to squeeze the brains out of Zodiac Dragon." I told Touya sarcastically. " It turned out to be Zodiac Tiger. Zodiac Tiger has the power of Zodiac Hare, who you never mentioned has the same powers that I have. Zodiac Tiger received the powers after we killed Moutu, and so Yinhu reflected it towards Seto, who is a Healer, so his brains aren't squeezed out but they're squeezed _in._"

Touya comforted the frightened Seto, who was suffering the effects of the magical offense.  
" So what happened?" Jou asked.  
" Right now," I answered, knowing what Jou meant even when he didn't say it right, " Seto is scared, and I think a little muddled. The zodiacs did something else to him too. He's very weak and sick."

Touya felt his forehead and confirmed everything.  
" Seto, do you know who I am?" Touya asked.  
" Ngnanh," Seto answered, but nodded quickly. Too quickly.  
" It's good to know that Seto's not completely gone." Akira observed. " He understands what's going on, sort of, but is afraid of everything, and he can't seem to talk right."  
" He's a little paralyzed." I answered.  
" That's bad." Kaho sighed. " We need Seto's blood to contradict with Syaoran's, and also to heal Syaoran and give him more blood. The blood has to be taken immediately. We need Seto there. We'll have to find some way to carry him there once we find where Syaoran is."  
" How are we going to do that?" Yukito's voice asked, and we all started at the sudden transformation.  
" What do you mean?" Anzu asked.  
" We don't have the cards. The zodiacs were smart enough to take the book with them." Yukito sat down.

I peered into Yue's mind for a brief moment.  
" It's not your fault you know." I said quietly.

Yukito's eyes turned gray and I knew it was Yue who was speaking.  
" I don't know about that." Yue looked down. " All this time all I've been doing is being angry at him. I don't deserve him."  
" Look." Jou sat down heavily next to him. " Whether you deserve him or not don't matter. The point is you got him as your master, and your job is to protect him. You can't just drown yourself and just forget about him just because you think you don't deserve 'im! He's counting on you right now. He's counting on all of us. Do you want to just sit here while Syaoran bleeds to death?"

This seemed to waken Yue and he quickly stood up.  
" I guess I'll have to try." He said.  
" E's Honk. Lll." Seto groaned after trying to speak. " On' an gl."  
" Nani?" Touya helped Seto sit up. " What did you say? Say it slowly. Don't worry, we're not angry at you."

Seto relaxed at the reassurance and tried again.  
" S-S-Sy-Syao," He panted, exhausted.  
" Syaoran?"  
" Mm."  
" Alright. What about Syaoran?"  
" Hon, Hon," Tears started forming in Seto's eyes, tears of frustration.  
" Relax, it's alright. Go slowly." I coaxed Seto. " Hon?"  
" Hong-Ke. Ko. Kooooon." Seto closed his eyes.  
" Syaoran's in Hong Kong!" Mokuba suddenly cried. " Seto senses him!  
" Good heavens. The spell was really bad, wasn't it?" Kero patted Seto's head.

Seto struggled to stand but couldn't even lift his head up. I immediately went over to him.  
" You shouldn't be trying." I scolded.  
" Nn ah." His words were mumbled. " Mmnl."  
" Fine." I gently helped him up. He groaned.  
" See?" I smiled. " Nausea. It's an effective way of keeping people in bed."  
" You?" He asked.  
" Iie. Sorry. Wasn't me." I smiled. " Now stay put."  
" Yrch."  
" Why are you calling _me_ a jerk?"  
" Yrch."

I chuckled. " I hope this lasts long." I joked to Kaho. " He's really kawaii when he is like that. Don't you think? Because he's still smart; he just couldn't talk and couldn't move around, so if you tickle him, he'd be helpless."

Seto glared at me. I just ignored it.

  
  
" Hong Kong is an amazing place." I smiled. " There is always something new going on around here."

Seto couldn't stand by himself yet so we supported him the best we could.  
" What in the world did the Zodiacs do to him?" Kero muttered.  
" Be glad." Touya snapped. " If Seto wasn't a healer, he'd be dead by now."

Seto suddenly collapsed. We quickly helped him up.  
" Seto, daijoubu?"  
" Mn Li."  
" Oh." I said apologetically.  
" Where do we start?" Honda asked.  
" The Li Mansion." Mokuba answered.

  
  
Seto was terrified of the mansion and couldn't speak his thoughts, so he began wailing pitifully. His legs gave out underneath him and Jou caught him.  
" Iie!" He wailed, starting to back away, but he held no energy to. " Iie, iie, iie iie iieiieiie-"  
" Hai." I took Seto from Jou. " You don't have to be afraid."  
" Yr!"  
" Remember, it's the Zodiac Tiger. The ghosts won't harm you."  
" Iie." Seto's eyes were desperate.  
" What the heck's wrong with the guy?" Jou asked.  
" He was stripped of his barriers." I snapped. " He has no protection. That's why he's afraid. Don't worry little one. We're all here."

Seto was reluctant but we pushed him into the mansion. I could sense the magical auras of the dead circling around. The Li's are restless. Their child is in grave danger.

" Ss." Seto suddenly froze. He bolted forward. I caught and held him back. He cried out and began wailing again.  
" He senses Syaoran." Mokuba answered the questioning glances.

Suddenly Seto grabbed his head and screamed. I held him close and looked in his mind.  
" Bastard." I muttered, catching the essence of the Zodiac Tiger. I closed my eyes.

Seto's thin and weak body writhed in my arms as I battled mentally against the zodiac. Seto sobbed again and I held him tighter. I heard faint whisperings of the others in worry, but I did not answer any questions.

_Do not challenge us, mortal.  
Get out of his head!_

There was a stunning blow. We were sent back, and Seto writhed, but no longer uttered any sound.

I looked up when I saw a white legging. I found that I was on the floor, and Tarkot was standing beside us.  
" Syaoran!" Jou cried.  
" Syaoran?" Tarkot answered. " I am no Syaoran. I do know what's going on though, and if you want Seto to keep calm I suggest you get him elsewhere."  
" He's speaking Japanese!" I heard Yugi whisper, but Tarkot ignored it.  
" You can't help Syaoran now." Tarkot answered. " He's in their clutches, and unless you wish to die and want him to die as well, you better follow me."  
" Follow you?" I suddenly laughed. I saw right through this Tarkot. " And pray tell, what was the name of the Pharaoh in the Egyptian lands?"

' Tarkot' started, and I closed my eyes. A piercing scream rang out.  
" What the," Jou stopped. Before us stood a _long_ woman with a thin neck and body.  
" Nice try." I chuckled. " You forget, some of us read minds."

Zodiac Snake turned to me and glared with her yellow eyes. I met her glare evenly.

_Stick and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me._

Suddenly, Sishe lunged at me, her forked tongue flickering outside her mouth. I felt Seto tense and leaped away to save him. I was the one supporting him, and he was in front of me, so it was apparent that Sishe was aiming for Seto as well.

_Seto._ I decided to contact him through my mind. _Have any ideas with that genius mind of yours?_  
_Darh?_ I heard Seto say. _Ulgh. Fire to skin._

I briefly thought about that for a moment before looking at Touya. We communicated. Touya glared at Sishe for a long time and suddenly there was a burst of flame. We heard a nasty hiss and she suddenly disappeared.

" Quick!" I cried. " Into the mansion!"

The others took the hint. We fled inside just as the ground outside began to crack apart. 


	29. Chapter 28Ryou

Syaoran

Chapter 28-Ryou

Inside the Li Mansion there was a warm hallway adorned with red wooded floors. There were entrances to each room that were tall and round, and those that were rectangular had long strings of beads hanging down from the top. It was a beautiful place, with wooden tables and chairs, and the walls covered with wallpaper filled with scenes, perhaps from the Li history.

Even so, the place looked shabby and old. Cobwebs adorned every corner and mice crawled about nibbling at the legs of the various chairs. There was a bowl of rotten fruit on one table and a painting on another, half finished. There was a rug in the middle of the floor, slightly tilted, as if it had just been put there. Further on there was a bundle of candles, with some on the floor, an open book with a page folded at one corner. There was a tray on the floor with a shattered teapot on it, and the cold tea had spilled in it. The cups were rolled out by the side. Tickings of a clock were heard, and the window flaps shuddered in the wind.

We dared not speak. All of us felt that if we spoke it could be disastrous. This was the house of the dead.

" Nnnh." But Seto was not as careful. He writhed, groaning. Pegasus and Touya quieted him down.  
" Li Yelan." He mumbled.  
" Yelan's Syaoran's mother." Touya told us. " Stay quiet."

But Seto was too delirious to answer. He went on moaning.

Crack!

Seto started and began whimpering. Pegasus, too stunned, covered his mouth with his hand. Seto began squirming. Touya whispered soothing words to him. We waited.

There was a sob.

Chantings began. We crept closer. Suddenly, rays flashed out. We leaped back, surprised.

" Of course!" Kaho answered. " They know we're here."

The zodiacs appeared. There were six of them. They attacked at once. Pegasus and Yue blocked with mind and arrow.

" Hurry!" Touya cried. " Yue, Kero, Yugi, Ryou, Mokuba, you four go get Syaoran! Jou! You and Honda get Seto to the room behind over there. Pegasus Kaho and I will handle them with the Yamis!"

We hastily agreed. I gave Akira a glance and he nodded, smiling, and I hurried off with Yue.

  
  
Downstairs there was a dungeon that smelled of new paint and brick. It was a new dungeon, set up by the zodiacs themselves. While the others were upstairs fighting their way to the blood or trying to distract the zodiacs, we came downstairs to look for Syaoran, simply because Yue felt him there.

Yugi and I set the Dark Magician and the Man Eater Bug to guard the door before turning our backs and heading further on. Yugi and I called, Yue and Kero were silent. But there was no answer.

Gradually we came across the book, which must have been dropped by accident. Opening the book, Mokuba drew out the Glow Card, and with it we were lighted somewhat. When we reached the last cell we stopped.

  
  
Syaoran was in his robes, green with the color of life, stained with the fluids of life as well. He was face down, his wrists and arms tied at his back with a strong rope, blindfolded and gagged. His ankles were tied together as well. But he really didn't need that because we came too late. The boy was lifeless.

We hurriedly forced open the gate and Yue rushed in. He gently turned Syaoran over so he was on his back, but he received no response from him. Everyone was quiet as the guardian gently gathered his master into his arms. Syaoran did not even moan.

" Is...is he..." Yugi stopped.  
" I don't care." Yue suddenly said coldly. He lifted the limp body up and held the child protectively. " We're getting him out of here, dead or alive."  
  
Pushing the door open we followed the suddenly cold guardian out. But both Yugi and I knew that Yue was burning with anger.

  
  
We went out by the side entrance into the garden with the pool in the middle filled with dead goldfish. Ignoring the stench Yue searched for someplace cleaner, and hurried to the other side where the rosebushes blocked the smell. Yue, Yugi and I quickly untied Syaoran, taking off the blindfold and the gag. More blood poured out.

" Syaoran, Syaoran," Yue gently shook him. After trying and receiving no response the guardian choked and held Syaoran's hand in his own, and bowed his head.

Suddenly he stared at Syaoran.

" What is it?" Mokuba asked.  
" He's, he's squeezing back." Yue answered, surprised.   
" He is?" Kero asked hopefully.  
" He is! He's squeezing my hand." Yue lifted his hand, letting it stretch out, and Syaoran's hand hung on it for about two seconds before dropping.  
" Syaoran!" I cried, rushing to him. " Syaoran, can you hear us?"

Syaoran didn't answer.

" Syaoran, can you open your eyes?" I asked hopefully.

I saw his head turn ever so slightly, _ever so slightly_, and slowly his eyes opened to reveal slits of what should have been his amber eyes.  
" He's conscious." I told Yue.  
" Good." Yue looked up. " We'll get him to the hotel. Then you. Mokuba and Yugi will stay with him and I'll come back to help the others, if I need to. Kero, you stay here."

Yugi and I climbed on Kero's back and Yue flew off carrying his precious bundle in his arms. Mokuba climbed up behind us as Kero followed his fellow guardian. Handing Syaoran reluctantly over to me, Yue flew off. Kero followed, and we watched briefly after the two guardians before hurrying into the hallway. No one was around.

Taking out the keys, Yugi turned the lock.  
" I can't believe this." Yugi said as I laid Syaoran on the bed. " It took us so long to get here, and they did all they had to do already."  
" Hopefully Seto was able to reverse it all." Mokuba answered. " I'll get some water."  
" Warm." I told Mokuba. " His forehead and sweat are ice cold. Give him some warm gruel."

Mokuba didn't answer. He hurried out. I took off Syaoran's outer robes and Yugi grabbed a first aid kit. We treated his wounds.

There were gashes everywhere. Across his neck. Across his shoulders. His belly. His back. After wrapping them I hurried to the bathroom to vomit, and finishing, Mokuba had hurried back with a cup of warm water.

Yugi gently tilted the cup into Syaoran's mouth, supporting his head with a free hand. Syaoran parted his lips and the water drifted in. He swallowed. The child winced ever so slightly, perhaps because of the wound. He swallowed again, no longer wincing. The need for water overrode his pain. After finishing he sank down and didn't move again.

  
  
It was nighttime when the others came back. Yue was carrying Seto, who was unconscious. I groaned. Is there someone new to worry about?  
" He's fine." Touya answered me. " He's just unconscious from lack of blood. Yue, you go take care of Syaoran. Pegasus, Kaho, you come with me to take care of Seto. Everyone else, try to find something to eat and help Yami over there." 

Yami was bleeding at the head, although Yugi wasn't, and Akira helped him the best he could with Jou, Honda and Anzu. Yue ventured over.  
" Ryou, can you go out and buy some soup?" Yue suddenly asked.  
" Soup?" I blinked dumbly. Then I took a closer look at Syaoran.

He was all skin and bones.

" No doubt he didn't eat at all during his stay here." Kero answered. " It'll kill him if he eats anything too solid."

Nodding, I took the keys and some money, converted from yen to chinese money, and went out.

  
  
Chicken soup was good for the soul, they say, but chicken soup was also very nutritious and it probably saved Syaoran's life. He could barely swallow the chicken but he was so hungry that if Yue hadn't kept it from him he would have gone on and drank the whole thing. Mayhap it was because it was so warm and soothing to him, but Syaoran at that time looked pitiful.

Yue stayed with Syaoran for the entire night and all of us knew that he was very sorry. Now the guardian knew what would have happened if he had let Syaoran go with the zodiacs. Does he regret his decision now? I do not know. All I know is that Yue was very gentle with him in the morning, and sometimes I caught him talking quietly to Syaoran. The boy never answered, though.

Seto, Jou and Honda had ventured into the room where there was a huge crystal bowl filled with blood in the middle, and five more along the sides, all filled to the brim. It explained why Syaoran was so weak after all. We had arrived too late to spare Syaoran, but just in time to ruin the ritual. After adding a pint of Seto's blood to each of them and performing a magical spell they succeeded in nearly getting themselves killed from the roof collapsing on top of them, and as Seto was already sick enough already it was really bad for him.

Yami, Akira, Pegasus, Kaho and Touya managed to fight off the zodiacs for a while until Chenlong blasted Yami's head, which explained why he was bleeding, but as he was a spirit, and the Egyptians have a way of mummifying Pharaohs, there were no brains to blast out so Yami was perfectly fine. Kaho was limping a little when she came in, obviously wounded. Akira had several wounds as well but they were minor. Pegasus was perfectly fine save for a killer headache.

  
  
It was a while before Syaoran was fully conscious again. We managed to get him back to Japan through a trick of Touya's coaching and Mokuba's magic, since Seto was still a little muddled. 

He glanced around in stupor and did not recognize any of us except for Seto and me, which was quite strange. He never spoke, and was forever trying to rise from bed, and one time he did, but he couldn't keep his balance and fell. When we found him he was crawling towards the door, and Yue had to pick him up and put him back in bed, and stay with him to prevent him from getting up again.

Seto wasn't much better. He gazed around him with a kind of sleepy expression and took a long time to register what was being said to him. He couldn't respond fast enough to his surroundings, even his reflexes had slowed. We later found out, though, that Seto's mind was as sharp as ever, and when he was finally better he was so relieved because he was frustrated at being physically limited for so long.

Yes, we all felt bad for Syaoran. It was terrible for him because he was traumatized afterwards and was forever trying to escape us. We do not know why. All we knew was that he was afraid of us. And that it would be a long time before he could be cured. 


	30. Chapter 29Akira

Syaoran

Chapter 29-Akira

" Are you willing?"  
" Not really. It's bad enough that we have a Seto who can't talk and a Syaoran who can't think straight."  
" Well, it's not like you have a choice." Touya pointed out. " We have to get those anyway. You're the only expert robber we have, and a rather good one, from what I hear from Syaoran. Sure, they'll kill you if they catch you, but what's a little danger?"  
" A _little?_" I blinked, bewildered. " Five thousand years ago I was stealing among people who don't know anything about magic. Heck, the only reason I was caught was because I made a bad choice and tried to steal from a magician. Now you're telling me to come to these immortals and try to steal from _them?_ A _little_ danger? Are you mad?"  
" Relax!" Touya rolled his eyes. " Do you honestly think I was going to let you go in there alone? Listen. Seto ( once he gets his wits back) was a pretty good...creeper, in his time anyway. ( Not that he is particularly old. I can't believe he's even younger than me!) But in any case, with the Healer, and with a professional robber, we're bound to get some info."

I sighed. " You're sick."  
" Who's the sick one?" Touya blinked. " Those guys tortured Syaoran. _Tortured._ Sound familiar? Do I have to spell it? Oh, good gracious! Don't tell me you, an Egyptian tomb robber, had never been _tortured _in your entire pathetic life, let alone, that whole confinement in the Ring was enough torture for me. Imagine Syaoran! A ten-year-old! Good heavens, you're calling _me_ sick?"  
" I don't have magic! Except for several lousy cards!"  
" Well, what do you think Sakura had?" Touya spat. " Do you care for Syaoran's well being, or not?"

I fell silent. Touya was right. I was the only person to do this, whether I liked it or not. And I did care about Syaoran.  
" Go to Hades." I muttered. Touya laughed. It was an amused laugh.  
" I'm sure you'll do fine." He said. " Now, back to Seto..."

  
  
" Wake up!" I yelled at Seto. I was not in the mood for laziness today. " Wake up! Geez, for being a CEO of a company, you sure are an ' early riser'!"  
" Let him sleep!" Yami sniffed, " His brain was slow anyway, he'll be less of a trouble."  
" Wake up!" I shook at Seto. Syaoran woke up beside him-amazing how that kid could sleep through all this. It seemed his annoyance won over his fear because he slapped my hand violently away.

Seto woke, more to Syaoran's touch then my absence, and looked around groggily.  
" Alright, Kaiba, or Healer, or whatever you are, I want to get this over with. Get up!"  
" ?" Seto blinked.  
" What, do I have to say things slowly too?" I cried.  
" Tomb Robber!" I fell silent. Touya always called me that when he's annoyed. " You might as well chill. Even the gaki was better then you. Be quiet and let Seto go back to his senses."

I glared at that mortal. Touya glared back.  
" Tomb Robber, I'm not here to play games." He warned. " I might not have much magic left, but Yue does. And you do not want to mess with Yue."

He's right. I don't want to mess with Moonboy.

Seto blinked his eyes and sat up slowly. He stared at everyone in a stupor. Mokuba ran to him.  
" Ni-san!" He whispered.

Pegasus shook his head. " Anyone here know how to heal? Kaho-san, do you know anyone who can help? We don't have all the time in the world, as I would have liked."  
" Of course," Seto was rubbing his head. " What happened?"

Touya stared at Seto.

" Kaho? Any time soon?" The guy began, and Kaho remained silent.

  
  
Our healer eventually got back to his senses, thanks to Touya and his use of the Sakura Cards himself. It's amazing, even now, to think he got over his sister's death so quickly, but I'm just some five thousand year old spirit hanging around where he doesn't belong. What do I know? They never told me exactly what he did with the cards, but sooner than I would have liked, Seto was back to his senses, and I found us waiting outside some weird cave opening, not anywhere near where the Li Mansion was, and Seto was staring at it, perhaps just as afraid as I was.

Well, not afraid, just...tense.

Our trip in there was...quite dark. But amazingly, Seto found his way around with ease. It was all I could do not to trip over his feet. That nonsense about seeing in the dark? That's not true. There is absolutely no way you can see in the dark, unless there's at least a speck of light available to you. Otherwise,

" Shh." Seto whispered to me. " They're coming this way. Get back."

Oh, he didn't have to tell me that. I'm a tomb robber, by Ra!

" Who goes there?"  
" Only some bats, I'll reckon."  
" Some spirits, actually. Immortal spirits, though not zodiacs." Seto answered.

Suddenly the voices fell silent and Seto grabbed my hand.

" Gah!" I almost yelled, but kept my voice low. " What did you do?"  
" Killed them." Seto said simply.

I sighed. " You're even worse than I was."  
" Arigatou. Get moving!"

  
  
While we were doing our spying, our mortal friends at home were doing all the complaining the world of complaints can offer. Kero gave me a brief account of how noisy they were, and Kaho joked that they were even more noisy then Ruby Moon and Spinel...although that sort of got everyone depressed. 

Apparently, Jou thought it was a good idea to get Tarkot back again and deal with this until the stages of whatever happened to Syaoran is over. That spell sort of caught the zodiacs' attention. As for us, we were at the entrance. The zodiacs decided to come out, and there's only one exit to the cave, which, of course, is the entrance, and we-

" Uh oh."

Uh oh's right. We were face to face with immortals. Seto, being the healer that's barely healed, me, being the ex-tomb robber that was executed and dead for five thousand years, trapped within the body of a rather weak individual and sort of nervous out of my wits.

I did the most intelligent thing I could think of. I ran away. I'm a tomb robber. That's what we do. Our genius of the century decided to play hero and started throwing weird things at the immortals.

Luckily Seto didn't get hurt, but when we went back to the shop, Tarkot was eye to eye with the immortals, and we didn't really get anything of much use to us.

Of what happened that day I can't really say. It seemed that day was cut off from my memory and left in its place a gaping black void. I do know that we figured out what had saved Syaoran the fateful day when the Clow Circle had perished.

What exactly happened that day? I know that Syaoran summoned the Dark Magician, like before. No, it wasn't Syaoran, it was Tarkot. And it seemed that we were dropped into some kind of time portal and dumped into the past on the sands of Egypt. The immortals were nowhere to be found...

Ah, hai. The monsters were protecting Tarkot against the immortals, the last ones that are left anyway. Even so, these zodiacs are powerful, and we happened to be no match for them. Even though it seemed as if we were even before, killing one zodiac after another, now we were stuck and in very deep trouble.

Remember how when one zodiac's defeated, his or her powers get transferred to the remaining zodiacs? That's exactly what happened. All of the sudden we're met with really really powerful zodiacs with all the powers of the dead ones, and controlling them with a single mind. Tarkot was better at controlling the monsters then Syaoran was. As for Seto, none of the magic affected him, but unfortunately he couldn't summon much of his magic anyway so the zodiacs didn't suffer much. The mortals, on the other hand, had to run. They really had no choice. But all of the sudden...

What happened? We got dropped in Egypt, I don't know how. Tarkot became Syaoran and Seto and Syaoran were leading us towards the great palace. The rest of the situation was fogged. I think Seto can give you a better description. Therefore, the pen now goes to Seto Kaiba. 


End file.
